The Shocking Reason Why Queen Elizabeth Had a Limited Role in Planning Prince Harry's Wedding

After announcing their engagement on November 27, 2017, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quickly started planning their wedding, considering who they wanted to invite to the royal nuptials, the talent that should perform at their reception, and their ensembles for the big day. However, behind the scenes, it appears that this process quickly caused friction between the soon-to-be newlyweds and Queen Elizabeth. In a Substack post, Sally Bedell Smith, a royal biographer, reported that Lady "Liza" Elizabeth Anson, Elizabeth's confidante, cousin, and party planner, revealed to her that whenever she raised ideas about the couple's celebration, Meghan refused to make any decisions without Harry present. "Harry wrote to me and said they were going another way," Anson told Smith. "He said, 'I am close to my grandmother, and she is content with this.' When I spoke with the Queen, she said she is not at all content."

That wasn't the only frustration that the monarch had with Meghan and Harry in the lead-up to their big day. "According to Liza, the Queen was dismayed that Harry had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to perform the wedding service in St. George's Chapel without first requesting permission from the Dean of Windsor," Smith wrote. She added that Harry falsely assumed that anything could happen with Elizabeth's permission, not realizing that when it came to the religious aspects of the ceremony, it was under the jurisdiction of the Dean of Windsor. "Harry has blown his relationship with his grandmother," Anson told Smith. "She said she was really upset. I was shocked when the Queen told me this, how she was so saddened. I had no idea about the conversation, that he was rude to her for ten minutes."

In addition to being upset with her grandson's approach to the ceremony, Elizabeth was reportedly annoyed that Meghan wouldn't reveal any details about her dress to her. However, in the days before the couple's nuptials, Smith reported that Elizabeth and Harry worked through their conflict. "She said she felt very left out, so he wrote her a letter about what was happening," Anson told the royal biographer. Still, the monarch still appeared uneasy before the big day. According to Anson, it was still unclear to many as to whether Elizabeth actually liked Meghan.

Elizabeth also reportedly remained stressed about the dynamic between Kate and Meghan. "Meghan and William and Kate are not working well," Anson told Smith. "That is what the Queen said, particularly about the two girls. It’s worrying that so many people are questioning whether Meghan is right for Harry." However, on May 19, 2018, in front of 600 guests, Harry and Meghan ultimately tied the knot at Windsor Castle—with Elizabeth's approval.