Meghan Markle Reportedly Sent Letter to King Charles III Asking to Meet One-on-One

(Image credit: Getty)

published 24 September 2022

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly flew home from the U.K. on Wednesday, September 21—nearly two weeks after they originally planned to return to California after a European mini-tour set to conclude on Thursday, September 8. Ultimately, of course, that day became one the world will remember forever: the day the Queen passed away peacefully at Balmoral Castle at 96.

According to reports from multiple outlets, before their departure, Meghan asked her father-in-law King Charles III to have a private chat in hopes of “clearing the air," sending a letter detailing her request to meet. A source told OK that Meghan wanted the talk to occur sometime after the Queen’s funeral, which took place on Monday, September 19.

“That’s right—Meghan one-to-one with King Charles,” reporter Neil Sean said, according to the outlet. “You heard correct. It’s a very brave move from Meghan herself.”

Meghan apparently wanted to “explain some of the rationale behind what [she and Harry] have been doing over the last two years,” he continued. “Now, you know, you have to admire Meghan’s self-belief, whatever you think.”

It remains unclear whether the talk happened, as there was just one full day—Tuesday, September 20—between the Queen’s funeral that Monday and their departure for home on Wednesday.

“Meghan and Harry won’t stick around after the Queen’s funeral and plan to return to California,” a source said. “Obviously, they were unprepared to remain in the U.K. for this long. It’s been an emotional and heartbreaking week but, naturally, they’re looking forward to getting back to Lilibet and Archie. This is the longest amount of time they’ve ever been apart from their kids in one go.”

However, according to Page Six, another source denied Meghan’s request happened at all, calling it an “outright lie.”

Rachel Burchfield is a writer, editor, and podcaster whose primary interests are fashion and beauty, society and culture, and, most especially, the British Royal Family and other royal families around the world. She serves as Marie Claire’s Senior Celebrity and Royals Editor and has also contributed to publications like Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, InStyle, People, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and W, among others. Before taking on her current role with Marie Claire, Rachel served as its Weekend Editor and later Royals Editor. She is the cohost of Podcast Royal, a show that was named a top five royal podcast by The New York Times. A voracious reader and lover of books, Rachel also hosts I’d Rather Be Reading, which spotlights the best current nonfiction books hitting the market and interviews the authors of them. Rachel frequently appears as a media commentator, and she or her work has appeared on outlets like NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, CNN, and more.