ROYAL FAMILY NEWS'Unforgivable': Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth II's Relationship Was 'Never the Same' After He Accused Royal Family of Racism
A former royal courtier revealed how Queen Elizabeth II's relationship with Prince Harry soured.
July 7 2025, Published 5:40 p.m. ET
While Prince Harry and his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II used to have a great relationship, royal aides claimed things began to deteriorate after he became engaged to Meghan Markle.
In the beginning, the monarchy allegedly worried the Suits alum was using the Duke of Sussex, but it wasn't until the couple's TV interview with Oprah Winfrey that the late matriarch felt truly "betrayed" by her grandson.
How Prince Harry's Relationship With Queen Elizabeth II Crumbled
Queen Elizabeth II 'felt betrayed' by Prince Harry after his and Meghan Markle's televised interview with Oprah Winfrey.
"Ultimately, the queen felt betrayed by Harry, and when he and Meghan attacked the institution that she spent her whole life serving in the Oprah interview, that betrayal was complete," a former courtier told a news outlet. "It was absolutely shocking to those of us that knew him that he would do that, not least because her husband [Prince Philip] was on his deathbed."
The Duke of Sussex claimed a member of the royal family made a racially charged comment about his son, Archie.
"The allegations of racism dismayed [the queen]. To accuse an unidentified person within the family of racism, thereby casting the shadow of suspicion over everyone, was unforgivable in her eyes," the ex-staffer continued, referring to how Harry claimed a relative questioned what color his son Archie's skin would be. "That was what ultimately prompted her to issue the ‘recollections may vary’ statement. Things were never the same after that. ... It was a horrific series of betrayals at the end of her life."
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Did Queen Elizabeth Approve of Prince Harry Naming His Daughter After Her?
Another report claimed the queen didn't give Harry permission to name his daughter, Lilibet, after her.
In addition, biographer Robert Hardman alleged a royal staffer once told him the queen "was angry as I’d ever seen her" after the Spare author claimed she gave him and Meghan permission to name their daughter Lilibet, a reference to the mother-of-four's nickname. The employee claimed that wasn't the case.
A friend of the royal family added of the ongoing drama, "You have to remember the queen was seriously ill for several years with bone cancer. She knew she was dying, she could hardly see, she could hardly stand, she could hardly move. And then she was completely let down by her grandson. It was utterly devastating for her.”
Despite that statement, it's never been confirmed the matriarch was diagnosed with cancer.
Prince Harry's Final Goodbye to His Grandmother
Though Harry wasn't able to see Queen Elizabeth II on her last day, he and Meghan Markle did attend her funeral.
After the queen passed away in September 2022, Harry revealed on 60 Minutes that he he didn't get to say goodbye to her in her final hours.
"I asked my brother — I said, 'What are your plans? How are you and Kate [Middleton] getting up there?' And then, a couple of hours later, you know, all of the family members that live within the Windsor and Ascot area were jumping on a plane together. A plane with 12, 14, maybe 16 seats," Harry told Anderson Cooper.
"You were not invited on that plane?" Cooper asked.
"I was not invited," Harry said, confirming that after securing his own flight, he didn't make it to her home in time before she passed.
