EXCLUSIVE: Queen Elizabeth's Brutal Real Feelings About Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding Laid Bare — 'It's My House, and I'm Paying for It'
Queen Elizabeth wasn't exactly happy with how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding planning went down.
Sept. 18 2025, Published 7:50 p.m. ET
Queen Elizabeth II was left furious over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's plans for their 2018 Windsor Castle wedding, and fumed at aides, "It's my house, and I'm paying for it," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The late monarch, who died in September 2022 aged 96, is said to have been upset by the couple's guest list, which excluded some royal relatives in favor of what she saw as "random" celebrities.
The Queen Raged Over Harry And Markle's Decisions
The Queen fumed over Harry and Markle's wedding plans.
According to royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith, the Queen was "annoyed" by the Sussexes' behavior during the planning and felt sidelined from decisions over the service at St George's Chapel.
Smith said: "Harry and Meghan just disinvited or didn't invite a whole group of family and cousins. The children of the Prince and Princess Michael of Kent and of the Gloucesters.
("Meghan) and Harry just 'exed' them out of the guest list, and they added all these other random people who barely even knew the Royal Family. That was just yet another irritation for the Queen."
A royal source familiar with the discussions claimed: "The Queen felt wounded that long-standing family members, who had always been part of big royal events, were left out while celebrities were invited instead.
"It clashed with everything she thought a royal wedding was meant to represent."
Harry and Markle cut royal cousins from their guest list.
Another insider claimed: "When Harry and Meghan went straight to the Archbishop of Canterbury, it came across as presumptuous.
"Normally, the Queen would be consulted first, so it felt like yet another instance of them ignoring tradition and doing things on their own terms. And she couldn't be placated. The Queen believed her kindness was being taken advantage of."
Lady Elizabeth Anson, the Queen's cousin and confidante, is thought to have tried to console her by pointing to upcoming events such as Royal Ascot and Princess Eugenie's wedding later in 2018.
The Royal Family covered the costs of the Sussex wedding, including music, flowers, and the service, which was followed by a lunchtime reception for 600 guests at St George's Hall and an evening party at Frogmore House hosted by then-Prince Charles.
But the scale of the event did little to soften the Queen's irritation.
A 'Inconsiderate' Move
The Queen felt sidelined when the couple went to the Archbishop, according to sources.
According to Smith, the Queen privately confided she was "very worried" about Harry's judgment in general. Concerns were raised among her circle; he was "besotted and weak about women," while doubts lingered about Markle's intentions.
One palace insider claimed to us: "The timing of Meghan's pregnancy announcement at Princess Eugenie's wedding was seen as inconsiderate.
"The Queen loved all her grandchildren, but she disliked the notion of one overshadowing another on such an important day."
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The Queen is said to have been unsure of Markle.
By early 2019, the Queen's view of Markle had shifted, Smith added: "By late February 2019, when Lady Anson and I spoke on the phone, she said, 'I don't trust Meghan an inch. To begin with, she was not bad – a straightforward starlet, used to public speaking and charity work. The wedge between the brothers is really too bad.'"
Lady Anson, who died in 2020, remained one of the Queen's closest allies until she passed away and was made a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order for her service to the monarch.
