A new biography examining Queen Elizabeth II and her relationships with U.S. leaders has revived scrutiny of her private views on Meghan Markle, with claims that the late monarch harbored concerns about the American actress even before her 2018 marriage to Prince Harry.
In The Queen and Her Presidents: The Hidden Hand That Shaped History, author Susan Page cites an unnamed aide who alleged the Queen was "on to" Meghan early in her relationship with Harry, describing her as strategically focused on image and media influence. According to an extract reported by Fox News, the aide said: "Her Majesty had become wary of Meghan as an opportunist, was 'on to her from the start,' and one with public relations skills that left the palace's outdated press operation in the dust."
The account, while unverified and based on anonymous sourcing, adds to a growing body of retrospective narratives attempting to interpret the late monarch's perspective during a period of profound institutional strain. Buckingham Palace has not commented on the claims, and representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have consistently maintained that their decisions were driven by personal well-being and independence rather than ambition.
The renewed attention comes as multiple authors revisit the breakdown in relations between the Sussexes and the royal household following their 2020 departure from official duties. In a separate biography, royal historian Hugo Vickers wrote that "the dynamics between the late Queen and Harry changed significantly," particularly after the couple's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they publicly criticized the institution.
That interview marked a turning point in public and private perceptions of the relationship. While the Queen's official response emphasized that concerns would be handled "privately," subsequent accounts suggest a widening emotional and institutional distance behind closed doors.
Further claims about Meghan Markle's ambitions have emerged in recent weeks from British author Tom Bower, whose book Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family draws heavily on unnamed sources. Speaking on the "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered" podcast, Bower said: "This establishment figure reported to the Queen that Megan thinks that once she marries into the royal family, she's going to be God. Which is pretty hilarious, but clearly, she believed it."
Bower continued with additional allegations about Meghan's perceived expectations within the royal hierarchy. "Clearly, she thought... I've come to the conclusion, with the help of others on the inside, that she really thought she, rather than Kate [Middleton], should be the next queen after Charles," he said. "She couldn't understand why she was better looking, and in her view, more intelligent, harder working, and everything, should be the queen."
He added: "She hated the idea that she and Harry were relegated so far down the order," and concluded, "That's why, of course, she never intended to stay."
None of these assertions has been corroborated by documentary evidence or on-the-record confirmation from Buckingham Palace or the Sussexes' representatives. The reliance on anonymous insiders reflects a broader challenge in reconstructing private royal dynamics, particularly given the late Queen's longstanding policy of public restraint.
