The dramatic fallout between Prince Harry and King Charles over Meghan Markle‘s exclusion from Balmoral during Queen Elizabeth II’s final hours reveals deeper fractures within the British Royal Family.
The British Royal Family’s relationship with Balmoral Castle, their Scottish estate, has always been one of deep emotional significance. The 50,000-acre property, featuring 150 buildings, including a 167-room castle, has served as a private retreat for generations of royals seeking respite from public life. It was here that one of the most dramatic confrontations between Harry and King Charles III unfolded at a moment of mourning.
The relationship between Harry, Meghan, and the rest of the royal family had already deteriorated significantly following their departure from royal duties in 2020, which resulted in the loss of their taxpayer-funded security protection. To make matters worse, Harry’s memoir Spare and their many scathing interviews about the Royals created a schism between the Sussexes and the rest of the family (not to mention the dire risk it have become for the Duke and Duchess’ future)
The situation reached a boiling point on Sept. 8, 2022, when Queen Elizabeth’s health rapidly declined at Balmoral. As family members rushed to Scotland, Charles explicitly banned Meghan Markle from joining the gathering, despite Harry’s intention to travel with his wife. Harry retells it in Spare: “He said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn’t want… her.” When Charles attempted to justify this decision, Harry responded forcefully, telling his father, “Don’t ever speak about my wife that way.”
Prince Harry and King Charles fight on Queen Elizabeth’s deathbed continues pushes them apart
In his memoir, Harry confesses that the king underlined that Meghan was not being singled out. In Harry’s own words, “No other wives were coming, Kate wasn’t coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn’t.” Nevertheless, the Duke of Sussex describes the King’s reasoning as “nonsensical and disrespectful.” By the looks of it, the King’s request had less to do with Harry’s outburst than the ongoing mediatic war between him and the rest of the Royals.
The timing of events proved crucial that day. While Charles, Camilla, and Princess Anne were already present, other family members scrambled to reach Balmoral. Prince William arrived with Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Sophie at 3:50 PM, shortly after the Queen’s passing at 3:10 PM. Harry, traveling separately, departed Luton airport around 5:30 PM, learning of his grandmother’s death through a BBC news notification while still in flight.
This incident has had lasting repercussions on the father-son relationship. Recent reports indicate that King Charles remains hesitant to reconcile, fearing that any private conversations might be used against him in ongoing legal disputes. The King’s wariness stems partly from previous instances where Harry has published accounts of private conversations, some of which have been questioned for accuracy.
The wounds from that fateful day at Balmoral continue to fester, as evidenced by a recent summer gathering snub. Charles and Queen Camilla invited the entire Royal Family and Camilla’s relatives to Balmoral Castle but notably excluded the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from the guest list. While the couple was “not shocked” by the exclusion, sources close to them indicate they view it as “a personal attack designed to hurt and embarrass them.”
Published: Nov 10, 2024 09:03 am