EXCLUSIVE: Royal Family Haunted by the Queen on What Would Have Been Her 100th Birthday — And What She REALLY Knew About Son Andrew
The late Queen's secrets will haunt the royal family forever.
April 29 2026, Published 7:30 a.m. ET
Queen Elizabeth rarely revealed her deepest thoughts and emotions, but two explosive new books are now lifting the veil on secrets that will haunt the royal family forever, RadarOnline.com can reveal
The revealing tomes – Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story, by Robert Hardman, and Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, by Hugo Vickers – delve into behind-the-scenes moments from her reign.
From alleged tensions surrounding Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding to her steadfast loyalty to her troubled son, former Prince Andrew, the books give a rare glimpse into the private world of Britain's longest-reigning monarch.
Here are the juiciest secrets from the bombshell tomes.
Elizabeth 'Ruined' Harry and Meghan's Wedding Day
Robert Hardman's 'Elizabeth II: In Private. In Public. The Inside Story' says Queen Elizabeth was displeased with Meghan Markle's wedding choices.
What should have been a joyous royal celebration reportedly became a strained and somber affair behind palace walls, as the queen grew increasingly displeased with Markle.
The relationship was said to have gotten off to a rocky start when the couple ignored Elizabeth's request to wait a year before marrying, choosing instead to wed after just six months. Tensions deepened when Markle declined the queen's suggestion to work with trusted planner Lady Anson – Lady Anson – a decision said to have left the monarch deeply hurt.
Sources say further friction arose during preparations for the big day. When the queen invited Markle to choose a tiara in a private setting, Harry unexpectedly joined – disrupting what had been intended as a personal bonding moment. As Hardman quotes a former staffer: "It was her lovely way of bonding with the bride.
She did it with Sophie [Rhys-Jones, Prince Edward's wife] and with Catherine [Middleton]. But there wasn't that bonding with Meghan because she turned up with Prince Harry."
The situation escalated into the infamous "Tiaragate," further eroding trust.
Elizabeth was also reportedly displeased with Markle's bridal look, particularly her choice of a white gown and veil – traditionally avoided by royal divorcees.
Hugo Vickers' 'Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History' details tension after Prince Harry joined Meghan Markle's private tiara viewing.
Prince Philip's 'Other Woman'
Rumors long swirled that Prince Philip may have strayed during his 73-year marriage to Elizabeth.
While none were ever proven, one relationship stood out: his decades-long closeness with Penelope "Penny" Knatchbull.
Despite their 30-year age gap, the two bonded over their shared love of carriage driving and remained deeply connected for nearly 50 years.
Knatchbull was even among the select 30 mourners at Philip's private funeral in 2021.
Biographer and historian Sarah Bradford reportedly once claimed: "The Duke of Edinburgh has had affairs... and more than one. He has affairs, and the queen accepts it. I think she thinks that's how men are."
The prince also proved adept at keeping secrets – reportedly for years concealing from the public his inoperable pancreatic cancer.
What The Queen Really Thought About Andrew
Prince Andrew remained Elizabeth's favorite son despite mounting scandals.
According to Vickers, Prince Andrew remained Elizabeth's favorite son despite mounting scandal – including his ties to Jeffrey Epstein.
Andrew has denied any wrongdoing.
The queen reportedly did not believe he "had behaved improperly," even as evidence against him grew. To her, he remained frozen in time as "that polite little boy who was fixed in the queen's head."
Hardman adds further insight, writing: "Some of these childlike tendencies could be almost endearing, like his collection of teddy bears. Others suggested more deep-rooted issues.
"He never drank alcohol and always stuck to room-temperature water," the friend continued.
"'Fair enough, but I once asked him why, and he answered like a 'child' – saying 'I tasted it once when I was a teenager and I didn't like it.'"
That childlike quality, Hardman added, is "why the queen would always worry about him."
Hugo Vickers' 'Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History' details tension after Prince Harry joined Meghan Markle's private tiara viewing.
The Day Elizabeth Feared Philip Had Been Shot
During the 1982 Birthday Parade, a gunman opened fire as the queen rode ahead of Philip. Writes Hardman: "As a former close aide explained, 'She had no idea they were blanks. And when she saw the police running past, she feared the worst.'
"She said to me, 'I saw all the attention heading behind me and I thought that someone had shot my husband'... And she explained that she just kept staring ahead and going forward because that is what you do. She said to herself, 'Don't look back,' because she was afraid she might see the Duke's body. It was her way of dealing with it.'"
Prince Philip's 'Irish Goodbye'
Vickers reveals lingering frustration over the queen not being present at Philip's passing: "The Queen was not there when he died. There had often been times in earlier days when she had asked the staff to let her know when Philip was leaving, only to be told, 'His Royal Highness left 20 minutes ago.'"
Vickers adds she was "absolutely furious that, as so often in life, he left without saying goodbye."
Robert Hardman recounted Queen Elizabeth feared Prince Philip was shot during the 1982 parade incident.
Elizabeth's Distrust Of Harry
After Harry and Markle stepped back from royal duties in 2020, Vickers writes, "Whenever Prince Harry called his grandmother, she asked her lady-in-waiting to stay with her."
And during those calls, "There were lots of one-word answers, 'yes' and 'no.'"
Dancing Queen
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Forget ABBA – Elizabeth was the true Dancing Queen! And those who knew her best insist the monarch would have happily been cutting a rug on her milestone April 21 100th birthday.
"Every morning, the queen would listen to the radio," confides her close aide and personal stylist Angela Kelly, who served as the monarch's trusted right-hand woman from 1994 until her death in 2022.
"When the song 'Dancing Queen' came on, she loved it, and both of us would dance. The queen would move from side to side and sing. Her Majesty loved singing and had a good voice. I didn't get carried away and be dancing all round her like I was at a disco, and the queen would tell me to 'move over' because I can't sing, and we laughed. They were moments to cherish, to see the queen so relaxed."
Angela Kelly revealed Queen Elizabeth enjoyed dancing to 'Dancing Queen' in private moments.
In the royal clash dubbed Tiaragate, Elizabeth firmly put her foot down – siding with a trusted aide over her grandson Prince Harry and his then-fiancee, Meghan Markle, according to royal expert Robert Hardman.
In his explosive book, Hardman revealed that Markle requested to borrow her chosen wedding tiara – Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau – ahead of the big day so she could practice wearing it.
But the queen's longtime aide and hairdresser, Angela Kelly – the gatekeeper of the royal jewelry collection – reportedly refused.
She insisted the priceless piece could not leave the palace without formal authorization and a police escort.
Prince Harry's 'Spare' says Queen Elizabeth backed Kelly in the tiara dispute, calling it 'not a toy.'
In his 2023 memoir, Spare, Harry paints Kelly as a troublemaker and admits he avoided escalating the situation to his grandmother, writing: "I considered going to Granny, but that would probably mean sparking an all-out confrontation, and I wasn't quite sure with whom Granny would side."
According to Hardman, however, the issue did reach the queen – and her response was decisive.
He revealed "the Queen took the side of her dresser. She was not pleased that the Prince had been calling around the Royal Household, demanding that the tiara be dispatched forthwith. As the monarch told one of them: 'It's not a toy.'"
