Queen Elizabeth II reportedly foresaw that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s attempt to remain half-in, half-out of the Royal Family would lead to a difficult and ultimately unfortunate outcome. According to The Daily Mail, Her Majesty firmly declined the couple’s request to serve as part-time royals, believing it would undermine the institution of the monarchy.
The late Queen has since been praised for her foresight and firm stance during a period of immense internal family strain. “Her Late Majesty was nobody’s fool and knew that the chances were, it would all end in disaster,” a royal source told the newspaper.
Harry and Meghan had initially proposed to “carve out a progressive new role within this institution,” seeking to split their time between royal duties and private endeavors. However, the Queen maintained that a clear division between royal service and commercial independence was necessary to preserve the integrity of the Crown.
The renewed attention on the Sussexes’ departure from royal duties comes amid fresh reports that Prince Harry had considered changing his last name to Spencer, honoring his late mother, Princess Diana. While the change was never made official, the notion reflects Harry’s growing emotional and symbolic distance from the Windsor name and, by extension, the British monarchy.
Further complicating the matter, it has been reported that King Charles III initially did not want Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to carry royal titles, especially the style of “His/Her Royal Highness” or even hold British passports.
A source reportedly close to Harry and Meghan told The Guardian: “The King hadn’t wanted Archie and Lili to carry the titles, most of all the HRH, and the British passports, once created, would be the first and perhaps the only legal proof of their names.”
The same insider revealed that following Queen Elizabeth II’s passing in 2022, Harry and Meghan encountered bureaucratic delays regarding updated British passports for their children. “Harry was at a point where British passports for his children with their updated Sussex surnames (since the death of Queen Elizabeth II) were being blocked with a string of excuses over the course of five months,” the source said.
As tensions between the Sussexes and the royal establishment continue to make headlines, Queen Elizabeth II’s decision to deny their “part-time” royal model appears more prescient than ever, reflecting her steadfast commitment to tradition during a time of unprecedented change within the monarchy.