In veteran political reporter Susan Page’s upcoming book, “The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History,”<\/a> a palace aide claimed the late monarch grew skeptical of the American actress early on, viewing her as calculated and skilled at shaping her public image.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Her Majesty had become wary of Meghan as an opportunist \u2014 was \u2018on to her from the start,\u2019 the aide said \u2014 and one with public relations skills that left the palace\u2019s outdated press operation in the dust,” Page wrote.<\/p>\n PRINCE WILLIAM\u2019S MISTRUST OF MEGHAN MARKLE IS STALLING PEACE WITH PRINCE HARRY: AUTHOR<\/a><\/p>\n Queen Elizabeth II viewed her future grandaughter-in-law Meghan Markle as an opportunist, according to Susan Page’s new book, “The Queen and Her Presidents.” (Max Mumby\/Indigo\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Fox News Digital has reached out to Harry and Markle’s representatives for comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Harry’s 2023 memoir, “Spare,” the former “Suits” star first met Elizabeth in October 2016 at the Royal Lodge in Windsor, England. Both Harry and Meghan have previously described the meeting as impromptu, recalling that the future Duchess of Sussex wasn’t aware that she would have to curtsy to his grandmother and had to practice ahead of the introduction.<\/p>\n In their 2022 Netflix series “Harry & Meghan,” the Duke of Sussex said he believed the royal family<\/a> had reservations about his wife due to her being an American actress.<\/p>\n A palace aide claimed the monarch was “wary” of Markle and her PR skills. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n “I remember my family first meeting her and being incredibly impressed. Some of them didn’t quite know what to do with themselves,” Harry said. “Because I think they were surprised. They were surprised that a ginger could land such a beautiful woman and such an intelligent woman.<\/p>\n “But the fact that I was dating an American actress was probably what clouded their judgment more than anything else at the beginning: ‘Oh she’s an American actress; this won’t last.'”<\/p>\n “The actress thing was the biggest problem, funnily enough,” Megan said. “There is a big idea of what that looks like from the U.K. standpoint \u2014 Hollywood \u2014 and it’s just very easy for them to typecast that.”<\/p>\n PRINCE HARRY FIGHTS BACK TEARS IN COURT, SAYS UK TABLOIDS MADE MEGHAN MARKLE\u2019S LIFE “AN ABSOLUTE MISERY\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in November 2017 and married in May 2018<\/a>. In January 2020, they announced that they were stepping down as senior royals and moving overseas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Elizabeth, who died in September 2022 at age 96, was reportedly deeply hurt and disappointed by the couple’s decision but remained publicly supportive of Harry and Meghan.\u00a0<\/p>\n During a 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Markle said the queen “has been wonderful to me.”<\/p>\n “She\u2019s always been warm and inviting and really welcoming,” Markle added.<\/p>\n Markle first met Elizabeth in October 2016. (Max Mumby\/Indigo)<\/p>\n In “Spare,” Harry provided a personal look at his upbringing as the royal “spare” to his older brother Prince William, family conflicts, the impact of his mother Princess Diana<\/a>‘s death and the tensions that led to his departure from royal life.<\/p>\n In “The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History,” Page wrote, “A senior royal aide said Harry\u2019s bitterness toward the palace staff and his own family stemmed in part from his resentment over being treated as a \u2018lesser royal\u2019 than William \u2014 perhaps inevitable, given that his brother was the heir apparent.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER<\/a><\/p>\n According to the book, the aide said “Harry complained that he was put in a bedroom \u2018miles away\u2019 from William\u2019s posher surroundings<\/a>.”<\/p>\n The book also claimed Harry was resentful of being treated as a “lesser royal” than his brother, Prince William. (Getty Images)<\/p>\n Page’s book also revealed that palace staff harbored doubts about Harry’s true parentage. Harry has long faced rumors he is not King Charles III<\/a>\u2019s son \u2014 instead linking him to Diana’s lover James Hewitt \u2014 though the claims have been repeatedly denied and contradicted by the timeline.<\/p>\n![\"Meghan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/meghan-markle-queen-elizabeth.jpg\")
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