The Queen was ‘left hurt’ after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to America, according to a new book.
The New Royals, which is being serialised in Vanity Fair, claims the late monarch avoided thinking about the couple’s decision to leave.
A source was quoted as saying: ‘She was very hurt and told me, “I don’t know, I don’t care, and I don’t want to think about it anymore.”‘
The 96-year-old also allegedly spoke of her limited meetings with her great-grandchildren.
According to the source, the Queen: ‘got to see so little of Archie and Lilibet and that Harry and Meghan were not able to join her for a weekend at Balmoral in August, when the Queen used to host a “sleepover” for all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.’
Her Majesty was also said to be ‘exhausted’ by the fanfare surrounding when her grandson and his wife chose to quit the Royal Family and leave the UK.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stood down in 2019 before moving to America.
They will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family, their spokespeople have confirmed.
The couple returned to the UK for a series of charity events this month, for the first time since the Jubilee celebrations this summer.
It meant Harry was in the country when news of the Queen’s sudden spiral in health first emerged.
But, according to reports, he was unable to reach her bedside at Balmoral in time before she died.
Queen Elizabeth II dead: Latest updates
- Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral: All the key events as they happened
- Date predicted for coronation of King Charles with ‘announcement expected soon’
- Queen Elizabeth and technology throughout the years
- The history of the Queen's Coronation chicken and how to make it
- All the tributes the Royal Family have paid to the Queen following her death
Head to Metro.co.uk's Queen Elizabeth II tag page for the latest updates, and sign Metro.co.uk's book of condolence to Her Majesty here.
Meanwhile, the New Royals also addresses the wider response from the Royal Family when the couple left the country.
It claims the Prince and Princess of Wales were said to have felt ‘a sense of relief’ when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to give up royal life.
The move to California meant ‘the drama was gone’ in their eyes, sources add.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.