New book claims Queen said ‘thank goodness Meghan isn’t coming’ before Prince Philip’s funeral
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The Queen expressed relief that the Duchess of Sussex was not attending the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh, saying “thank goodness Meghan is not coming”, a biographer claimed on Friday night.
Tom Bower, who has written a new book about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex entitled “Revenge”, alleged the Queen told aides of her feelings in a “clear voice” at Windsor Castle before her husband’s funeral.
At the time, the Duchess was reported to be watching the service from home on the advice of her doctors.
She wrote a handwritten note for a wreath of flowers left at St George’s Chapel on behalf of the Sussexes.
On the day of the funeral, Bower claimed, the Duke appeared nervous because he knew he had filmed an interview for Apple TV about mental health in which he criticised his upbringing, with transmission delayed until after the funeral.
Those close to the Queen raised doubts about the “non-specific” claims, questioning whether her focus would be on anything other than her husband on the difficult day of his lockdown funeral.
Bower’s book claims to be a “characteristically explosive and rigorously researched account of the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal family, touching on every aspect of scandal and suspicion”.
It includes a series of claims about Meghan Markle’s early life, detailing her alleged disappointment at a Vanity Fair interview which she had hoped would be about her “global philanthropy” but instead is said to have infuriated the palace for including her relationship with Prince Harry.
