Prince Harry Alleged Betrayal of Queen Elizabeth II: Royal Insiders Reveal Deep Rift. Recent revelations have reignited discussions about the strained relationship between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the late Queen Elizabeth II, with royal insiders labeling the couple’s actions as a profound betrayal of the monarch in her final years.Â
A July 6, 2025, report by biographer Sally Bedell Smith in her Substack column Royal Extra, citing the queen’s late cousin Lady Elizabeth Anson, details the queen’s growing dismay with Harry and Meghan, particularly after their 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview and the naming of their daughter Lilibet.Â
Sources close to the royal family, speaking to The Daily Beast and other outlets, paint a picture of a monarch who felt deeply wounded by her grandson’s public criticisms of the institution she devoted her life to, especially as she battled serious health issues. These accounts, coupled with social media sentiment on X, highlight a narrative of fractured family ties, with some accusing Meghan of orchestrating a fame-driven exit from royal life.
The Oprah Interview: A Turning Point
The March 7, 2021, Oprah Winfrey interview with Harry and Meghan, aired just 33 days before Prince Philip’s death on April 9, 2021, is widely cited as the “final betrayal” that irreparably damaged Harry’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth II. During the interview, Meghan alleged that an unnamed royal family member had raised “concerns” about their unborn son Archie’s skin color, implying racial bias within the monarchy.Â
A former courtier told The Daily Beast, “The allegations of racism dismayed [the queen]. To accuse an unidentified person within the family of racism, thereby casting the shadow of suspicion over everyone, was unforgivable in her eyes.” This prompted the queen’s rare public statement via Buckingham Palace: “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.” The statement, described as a diplomatic rebuke, underscored her frustration, with insiders noting she was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” over the claims.
The timing of the interview was particularly painful, as the queen was grappling with Prince Philip’s hospitalization and her own undisclosed battle with bone marrow cancer, which caused significant fatigue and mobility issues. A source told The Daily Beast, “She knew she was dying, she could hardly see, she could hardly stand…Â
And then she was completely let down by her grandson. It was utterly devastating for her.” The interview’s fallout, coupled with Harry’s subsequent media projects, including the 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan and his 2023 memoir Spare, deepened the rift. In Spare, Harry detailed personal grievances, including a physical altercation with Prince William and claims that Kate Middleton made Meghan cry, further fueling perceptions of disloyalty.
The Lilibet Naming Controversy
Another significant grievance was the Sussexes’ decision to name their daughter, born June 4, 2021, Lilibet, the queen’s childhood nickname. Harry and Meghan claimed they had the monarch’s blessing, but a palace source told the BBC and The Daily Beast that no permission was sought, leaving the queen “livid.” Biographer Robert Hardman reported a staffer recalling the queen saying, “I don’t own the palaces, I don’t own the paintings, the only thing I own is my name.Â
And now they’ve taken that.” This incident, described as a “Sussex shocker,” compounded the sense of betrayal, with royal circles labeling it “vindictive” given the queen’s emotional attachment to the name, used affectionately by her late father, King George VI.
Pre-Wedding Tensions and Meghan’s Role
Tensions predated the Oprah interview, emerging even before Harry and Meghan’s May 2018 wedding. Lady Elizabeth Anson, a close confidante of the queen, told Sally Bedell Smith that the queen was “really upset” by Harry’s behavior, including an incident where he was “rude for ten minutes” over wedding plans. Harry had asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to officiate at St. George’s Chapel without consulting the Dean of Windsor, prompting Anson to note, “Harry seems to think the queen can do what she wants, but she can’t.”Â
Anson also expressed skepticism about Meghan’s intentions, stating, “We hope but don’t quite think she is in love. We think she engineered it all,” a sentiment echoed by a friend of William and Kate who told The Daily Beast that the family believes Meghan saw Harry as a “stepping stone” to global fame.
Commonwealth Criticism and Ongoing Strains
The Sussexes’ 2022 Netflix docuseries further strained relations by featuring experts who criticized the Commonwealth, an institution the queen cherished since dedicating her life to it in 1947. Meghan, appointed vice-president of the Commonwealth Trust in 2019, stepped down with Harry in 2020.Â
A royal expert told Express.co.uk that the queen would have been “horrified” by their dismissive stance, given her personal investment in the organization. This move, combined with Meghan’s continued use of her HRH title in 2024 (despite a 2020 agreement to relinquish it), has fueled perceptions of disrespect, with Prince William reportedly “livid” and planning to strip their titles upon becoming king.
Royal Family’s Perspective and Historical Parallels
Insiders draw parallels to Edward VIII’s 1936 abdication for Wallis Simpson, suggesting Harry’s actions mirror a historic betrayal. A friend of William and Kate told The Daily Beast, “The family think it is a rerun… Exile worked before, and it will work again.”Â
The queen’s silence during a call from Harry, recounted by a Buckingham Palace switchboard operator, underscored her emotional distance, a stark contrast to Harry’s claim in a 2022 interview with Hoda Kotb of a “special relationship” with his grandmother. Despite meeting Harry and Meghan in April and June 2022, the queen remained guarded, with insiders noting she “never saw” the monarchy as separate from her duty, countering Harry’s narrative of institutional interference.
Broader Context and Family Dynamics
The queen’s health struggles, including myeloma diagnosed before her September 2022 death, amplified the pain of Harry’s actions, especially as Prince Philip was on his deathbed during the Oprah interview. King Charles III and Kate Middleton, both diagnosed with cancer in 2024, have also faced public scrutiny, with Kate’s limited engagements reflecting her recovery.Â
Her upcoming appearance at Wimbledon and a state visit with French President Emmanuel Macron on July 15, 2025, signal resilience amid family tensions. Harry’s ongoing security battle with the UK Home Office, highlighted in a May 2025 BBC interview, underscores his estrangement, with no reconciliation in sight despite his expressed desire for peace.
The narrative of betrayal, amplified by posts on X and royal sources, portrays a queen who felt let down by a grandson she once favored, with Meghan often cast as the catalyst. While Harry and Meghan’s supporters argue they sought freedom from a restrictive institution, the royal family’s perspective, as voiced by insiders, emphasizes loyalty to the monarchy’s legacy, leaving a complex and unresolved divide.
