Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “robbed” the late Queen Elizabeth II of her dying wish.
Harry and Meghan moved to the U.S. in March 2020, months after they informed the monarch and the world that they were stepping back as working royals. So, Elizabeth never got to fulfill her final wish: gathering all of her great-grandchildren at Balmoral.
The Queen, who died at the age of 96 on September 8, 2022, is said to have been left heartbroken in her final weeks because Harry and Meghan were not in the country to attend the gathering with their children, Archie and Lilibet. This comes as Meghan and Harry return home from Australia to a sweet surprise from their kids.
Sources have told Radar Online that Harry and Meghan’s absence deprived Elizabeth of a final family moment she had hoped to have had during the summer before her death.
Now, royal biographer Robert Hardman writes in his book, Queen Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, that Elizabeth wanted to create lasting memories with her great-grandchildren, including Prince George, now 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, Prince Louis, seven, as well as Harry and Markle’s kids, Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four.
The invitation was extended to the entire royal family, even though Harry and Meghan had already stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to the U.S.
Sources said the gathering’s situation has since been viewed as a regret within the Royal Family.
One insider said, “The Queen’s final wish to have all her great-grandchildren together was not fulfilled in the way she had hoped, and that has left a lingering sadness among those who knew how much it meant to her.”
Hardman writes in his book, “The Queen wanted all the great-grandchildren to come up to Balmoral at some point over that summer (in 2022), even if the Sussexes might not be able to make it.”
A family friend told Hardman, “(Elizabeth) wanted to make sure that they all had a really happy memory of her.”
Still, Prince William, 43, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, did spend time at Balmoral in the summer of 2022 with their children.
Elizabeth’s other great-grandchildren, including Savannah Phillips, Isla Phillips, Mia Tindall, Lena Tindall, Lucas Tindall, Sienna Mapelli Mozzi, and August Brooksbank, also attended family gatherings during that period.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan visited the U.K. with their children in June 2022 for Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee.
This trip was the only time Princess Lilibet had been in the country, during which she celebrated her first birthday and met her namesake, the late Queen.
However, Harry and Meghan are not believed to have traveled to Balmoral in the summer before the Queen’s death.
In her final months, Elizabeth decreased her public duties and missed several events, including her Platinum Jubilee service of thanksgiving and the Epsom Derby.
Still, she continued to carry out engagements, including a privy council meeting. Days before her death, she appointed Liz Truss as Britain’s Prime Minister.
An official told Hardman of her condition at the time, “She was so brave. You could tell she was having a lot of treatment from the bruising on her hands where the cannula had gone in. Her hands seemed permanently bruised.”
Elizabeth’s final moments were recorded by her private secretary, Edward Young. He noted she died in her sleep after slipping away from “old age,” claiming she “wouldn’t have been aware of anything” and wasn’t in “pain.”
Harry and Markle have recently been on a tour of Australia without their children.
They visited sites including the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne (RCH) and McAuley Community Services for Women, a “specialist organization supporting women and children experiencing family violence, homelessness, and related challenges.”
During their RCH visit, Meghan and Harry connected with children and families while discovering various holistic healing methods. Meghan participated in serving a communal meal with the McAuley Community Services staff.
The couple toured the Australian National Veterans Arts Museum, meeting with veterans and their relatives, viewing artwork, and exploring “the role creativity can play in recovery and community building.”