ROYALSPrince Harry Had 'No Idea' Queen Elizabeth Was in Her 'Final Hours and Days' as Palace Kept Him in the Dark
Queen Elizabeth died in 2022 at the age of 96.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle flew to the U.K. for Queen Elizabeth's funeral, but Omid Scobie claimed the Sussexes learned about Elizabeth's passing close to when the public did.
King Charles didn't want Meghan Markle to visit Queen Elizabeth while on her deathbed.
"The Sussexes had no idea that Buckingham Palace was already planning for the Queen's final hours and the first days of the monarchy's new era — until the duke's phone started ringing," Scobie wrote in Endgame. "An unknown number. He usually ignored those."
In the biography, Scobie claimed King Charles informed his son that the Windsors were headed to Balmoral to say goodbye to the monarch, but he requested Meghan not to join the brood.
Queen Elizabeth is the longest reigning monarch in British history.
Harry reflected on the moment he learned about Elizabeth's death in his memoir, Spare.
"When the plane started to descend, I saw my mobile phone light up. It was a message from Meg: 'Call me as soon as you read this.' I checked the BBC webpage. My grandmother had died. My father was the King. I put on a black tie, and stepped off the plane into heavy drizzle," Harry wrote.
Despite Charles' request to keep Meghan away from his mother's deathbed, the Duchess of Sussex was initially seen as the future of The Crown. OK! previously reported a source claimed Elizabeth was enthusiastic about incorporating Meghan's worldview into the royal family.
"Her Majesty valued Meghan and wanted her to be seen as a part of the family without delay," the insider dished.
Due to Meghan's biracial identity, the former actress hoped to represent people of color in the Commonwealth.
A courtier claimed the Queen saw Harry's bride as a "breath of fresh air and a great asset to the monarchy."
- Meghan Markle 'Could Sense She Wasn't Wanted' During Queen Elizabeth's Final Moments
- Meghan Markle Caused Chaos When She Wanted to Visit Queen Elizabeth Before Her Death: Source
- King Charles III Reportedly Told Prince Harry It Wouldn't Be 'Appropriate' For Meghan Markle To Visit Ailing Queen At Balmoral
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Meghan Markle's final royal event was Queen Elizabeth's 2022 funeral.
In the Sussexes' 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Suits star discussed how her experiences resonated with people in British territories.
"Growing up as a woman of color, as a little girl of color, I know how important representation is," Meghan told Winfrey. "I know how you want to see someone who looks like you in certain positions."
While chatting with Winfrey, Harry co-signed Meghan's sentiments.
"I think, you know, as we talked about, she was very much welcomed into the family, not just by the family, but by the world," Harry shared. "Certainly by the Commonwealth. I mean, here you have one of the greatest assets to the Commonwealth that the family could have ever wished for."
Meghan Markle didn't 'fit in' to the royal family.
The Sussexes and the royal family were hopeful about Meghan's potential impact, but the duchess struggled to find her place within the fold.
"We landed in Canada and one of our security guards who had been with H for so long, and these guys were so wonderful, I just collapsed in his arms crying," Meghan said in Harry & Meghan.
"I was like: 'I tried so hard,' and he was like: 'I know you did. I know you did ma'am, I know you did,'" she admitted. "Like I tried so hard. And that's the piece that's really triggering because you go: 'And it still wasn't good enough. And you still don't fit in.'"
