“It was a startling sentence to hear from the most forgiving woman on earth.”
They continued: “At the drinks before the dinner, a small group were talking to the monarch and she explained that Harry meeting Meghan had become a complete catastrophe and described her as evil.
“By this point, we all knew the Queen’s health was in decline and she had months left, she seemed regretful about how things had panned out.”
While the late Queen permitted the couple’s request to step back as senior working royals in 2020, she had also reportedly been hurt by the couple’s decision, especially when they released a statement without consulting her.
In Katie Nicholl’s book ‘The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown’, a source close to the Firm gave an insight into the late Queen’s “turmoil” over events at the time.
The insider reportedly said: “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’.”
Despite Harry and Meghan speaking negatively about many elements of royal life, the couple always spoke favourably of the late Queen.
After her death, Harry said in a statement: “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings – from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my Commander-in-Chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren.
“I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over.”