Meghan Markle skipped Balmoral because she wouldn’t be ‘welcomed’

On Sep 9, 2022

Meghan Markle stayed behind in London rather than joining her husband Prince Harry at Queen Elizabeth II’s bedside in Balmoral on Thursday out of concern that she many not be “warmly welcomed,” a BBC royal correspondent insisted.

When the Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth II was “under medical supervision,” and that doctors were “concerned” for her health, most of the senior members of the royal family, including the monarch’s children and grandchildren, raced to her beloved estate in the Scottish Highlands.

Prince Harry is pictured racing to his grandmother's deathbed at Balmoral Castle without his wife, who stayed behind in London, possibly out of fear of being shunned. — Prince Harry is pictured racing to his grandmother’s deathbed at Balmoral Castle without his wife, who stayed behind in London, possibly out of fear of being shunned.

Meghan Markle - Queen - Harry — Initially it was reported that Meghan would travel with Harry to the Queen’s bedside.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex initially said the couple would be traveling to Balmoral Castle together, but later it emerged that Markle won’t be accompanying her husband, Prince Harry, after all due to an unspecified “change of plans.”

BBC’s royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell speculated during an evening broadcast about the real reason Markle may have decided to stay behind in London.

“She might not be terribly warmly welcomed, to be perfectly candid about it,” he said.

The Queen, Britain’s longest-reigning monarch, died peacefully at Balmoral at age 96, surrounded by many of her close family members, including her son and heir, Charles, now King Charles III, her three other children and grandson Prince William.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, stayed behind in Windsor to look after her and William’s three children.

Prince Harry arrived in Scotland hours after his grandmother’s death was announced. The homepage of his and Markle’s Archewell Foundation later displayed a poignant tribute to the Queen.

Harry was seen on Friday being consoled by airport staff while boarding a flight back to Windsor. He was the first royal to leave Balmoral.

Harry at airport — Prince Harry was later seen being consoled by an airport worker as he left Scotland.

BBC's royal correspondent speculated that Meghan Markle opted to stay away from the Queen's deathbed because — BBC’s royal correspondent speculated that Meghan Markle opted to stay away from the Queen’s deathbed because “she might not be terrible warmly welcomed.”

Harry leaves — Harry was the first in the family to be pictured leaving Balmoral.

Prince Charles walks Meghan down aisle — Harry and Meghan were in the UK to promote charitable causes, but were not scheduled to meet with members of the royal family prior to the Queen’s death.

Harry and his wife had traveled to the UK from their home in California to promote their charitable causes, but had no plans to meet with the royal family amid an ongoing feud.

The last time the Sussexes saw the Queen was in June during her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, when the monarch got to meet her great-granddaughter Lilibet.