Queen Elizabeth Called Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Departure from U.K. "A Missed Opportunity"

Queen Elizabeth wearing a blue coat standing next to Meghan Markle, in a navy dress and hat, and Prince Harry in a military uniform

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been living in their Montecito, California home for nearly six years now, but ahead of their big move to America, there was the infamous Sandringham Summit.

On January 13, 2020, Queen Elizabeth, King Charles (then Prince Charles), Prince William and Prince Harry met to discuss the future roles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after they posted an unprecedented message on Instagram announcing they'd be stepping down as senior royals.

In Robert Jobson's new book, The Windsor Legacy, the royal journalist and author claims that the late Queen thought Harry's behavior during the discussions was "quite mad."

Queen Elizabeth sitting next to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in chairs — Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Queen Elizabeth are pictured at The Queen's Young Leaders Awards in 2018.

Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in 2018 wearing blue — Queen Elizabeth stood next to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during a 2018 event honoring the centenary of the Royal Air Force.

The Windsor Legacy: a Royal Dynasty of Secrets, Scandal, and Survival

At the time, the duke and duchess proposed an arrangement where they would split their time between North America and the United Kingdom, combining royal duties with their own endeavors. But as Jobson wrote, "The answer from the top was clear: no halfway role was possible. They were either in or out."

The author noted that Prince Philip "was so angered by what he saw as a threat to the family's cohesion" that he didn't attend the meeting, while Prince William was "composed by distant."

Queen Elizabeth sent her well wishes to the couple in a public statement, but deep down, Jobson says the late monarch was disappointed in their decision. "She made it clear to those close to her that privately she felt let down by the Sussexes’ departure, which she saw as short-sighted and a missed opportunity," he wrote.

Adding that the late Queen "had warmly welcomed Meghan" into the family at first, Jobson continues that Queen Elizabeth grew "tired of the drama" after "it all fell apart."

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.