Meghan Markle Didn't Join Harry at Queen’s Deathbed Over 'High Tensions' With Royals

Little over a week before Queen Elizabeth II's death at Balmoral, the Duchess of Sussex gave an interview to Cut magazine in which she once again criticized the actions of the royal family towards her and her husband.

Persisting tensions between the Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle and the rest of the British royal family led to Meghan skipping the trip to Queen Elizabeth II's residence at Balmoral on the day of her passing, Page Six has reported citing anonymous "insiders".

According to the insiders, pre-existing tensions prompted the Sussexes to hastily backpedal their statement claiming that both were en route to Balmoral, as the Queen's other grandchildren – Princes William, Andrew and Edward – also rushed to see the monarch after the Buckingham Palace statement announcing her frail health.

"Tensions were so high and there was no way Meghan could have gone to Balmoral. The fact the Sussex camp did say both Harry and Meghan were going — and then quickly retracted that statement — will tell you everything you need to know about the drama behind the scenes," one unnamed source alleged.

The sources reportedly told Page Six that Meghan and Prince Harry dislike staying apart for long, and that travelling to Scotland without his wife was "very hard for Harry", explaining why he did not stay for long after the Queen passed away at the age of 96.

At the same time, a source, who spoke to The Sun newspaper anonymously, claimed that it was King Charles who asked Harry to leave Meghan behind, reportedly saying that it "wasn't right or appropriate for Meghan to be in Balmoral at such a deeply sad time". Charles allegedly argued that the Duchess of Sussex would not be welcome and pointed out that Prince William's wife, Kate, also stayed in London.

The visit to the Queen, who was under medical supervision over health concerns earlier on September 8, was deemed a deeply private, family moment, the source told The Sun. Only one exception was apparently made, with Prince Edward's wife travelling with the monarch's grandchildren. Queen Elizabeth II had, however, apparently always adored her and deemed her family.

The tensions that allegedly prevented both Sussexes from travelling to Balmoral came as relations between the pair and the rest of the royal family suffered a new blow with Meghan’s interview to Cut magazine only a little over a week before the Queen's death. During the interview, she claimed that the royal family effectively pushed them out when their conflict escalated in 2019 and 2020, even though the pair previously presented their departure from the ranks of the working royals as a self-made decision.

Ties with Buckingham Palace had also been reportedly made complicated by Prince Harry's stated plans to publish a tell-all book about his life among the royals. Its release date, however, is yet to be unveiled.