A new biography by royal historian Hugo Vickers alleges that Queen Elizabeth II took the unusual step of ensuring a witness was present during phone calls with Prince Harry after his 2020 departure from royal duties, reflecting what the author describes as a breakdown in trust within the House of Windsor.
According to Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, set for release in April, the monarch asked a lady-in-waiting to remain in the room during conversations with her grandson, who had relocated to California with Meghan Markle. Vickers writes, "Whenever Prince Harry called his grandmother, she asked her lady-in-waiting to stay with her," framing the practice as a deliberate safeguard.
A palace source cited by Page Six offered a similar account, describing the Queen's tone during those exchanges as notably restrained. "There were lots of one word answers, 'yes' and 'no,'" the insider said, characterizing the conversations as emotionally distant.
The same source attributed the arrangement to concerns about accountability and documentation. "The Queen clearly wanted some kind of protection," the insider said, adding that the presence of a lady-in-waiting provided "moral support and protection... to ensure there was a record of what was said."
The biography situates these measures within a broader deterioration of relations following Harry and Meghan's decision to step back from senior royal roles in 2020 and relocate to Montecito, California. Their subsequent media appearances, including a high-profile interview and Harry's memoir Spare, intensified tensions within the royal family and contributed to what Vickers describes as lasting personal strain.
"The distress the Sussexes caused the Queen in the last years of her life cannot be overestimated," Vickers writes, suggesting that the monarch's guarded approach was shaped as much by emotional hurt as by institutional caution.
Even in-person interactions were reportedly managed with similar care. During a visit in June 2022, when Harry and Meghan introduced their daughter to the Queen at Windsor Castle, Vickers notes that a lady-in-waiting was again present. The monarch also declined requests for a photographer, reflecting concerns about potential leaks or staged imagery.
Privately, the Queen is said to have expressed skepticism about Harry's post-royal life in the United States. According to Vickers, she remarked to a friend, "And now Harry has opted out, and for what? To be a carer for Archie?"-a comment that underscores the contrast she perceived between royal duty and her grandson's new direction.
The book also revisits earlier reservations within the royal family about Harry's relationship with Meghan. Vickers writes that the Queen advised delaying the marriage, while King Charles III reportedly echoed caution, and Prince Philip referred to Meghan as "The American."
"Prince Harry would never have been allowed to marry such a girl at an earlier time in the reign for obvious reasons," Vickers writes, though he notes that shifting cultural attitudes within a "younger, more tolerant generation" ultimately shaped the outcome.
The biography further recounts internal tensions within royal households, including an incident in which the Queen allegedly intervened after complaints about staff treatment. "When one of the head gardeners mentioned this to the Queen she got in her car and drove over and ticked off Meghan for being rude to the staff," Vickers told Page Six.
