Queen 'branded Meghan Markle and Prince Harry a catastrophe' in 'startling' dig

The late Queen branded Meghan Markle and Prince Harry "a complete catastrophe" in the weeks before she died, according to a source.

King Charles' mum, who passed away at the age of 96 in September 2022, was said to have made the comments during a drinks reception at Balmoral in August of that year. A source claimed the late monarch branded the Duchess of Sussex "evil" as the relationship between the Sussexes and the Firm reached an all-time low.

She was allegedly "regretful" that Harry had stepped down as a working royal and had moved to California with his family, according to the source, who claimed the way the Queen spoke about Meghan saw "everybody's eyebrows hit the ceiling." The insider told The Spectator: "It was out of character for the Queen to use such a word as 'evil' to describe Meghan, but she saw straight through her. It was a startling sentence to hear from the most forgiving woman on Earth.

READ MORE: Queen made 'startling' remark about Meghan Markle a month before her death

"At the drinks before the dinner, a small group were talking to the monarch and she explained that Harry meeting Meghan had become a complete catastrophe and described her as evil. By this point, we all knew the Queen's health was in decline and she had months left, she seemed regretful about how things had panned out."

The alleged comments came after Harry and Meghan made a number of serious allegations about the Royal Family, including claims of racism over their son Archie's skin colour and that Meghan had not been shown support while struggling with mental health problems. The allegations by the Sussexes were made in their Netflix series, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey and also in Harry's memoir, Spare.

Despite their claims, however, Harry and Meghan have always spoken highly of the Queen, with the former Suits actress telling Oprah that the late monarch was "wonderful" to her. She added: "I've loved being in her company. She's always been warm, welcoming, and inviting."

Meghan, who was in tears at the Queen's funeral, told Variety in 2023: "There's been such an outpouring of love and support. I'm really grateful that I was able to be with my husband to support him, especially during that time.

"What's so beautiful is to look at the legacy that his grandmother was able to leave on so many fronts. Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like.

"I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her. It's been a complicated time, but my husband, ever the optimist, said, 'Now she's reunited with her husband.'

"I've reflected on that first official engagement that I had with her, and how special that felt. I feel fortunate. And I continue to be proud to have had a nice warmth with the matriarch of the family."

Meghan and Harry were in Europe on other engagements when the Queen passed, which allowed Harry to travel to Balmoral to be with his family immediately after her death. The couple remained in the UK until the funeral, joining the new Prince and Princess of Wales to view floral tributes in Windsor. It was the first time the two couples were seen together since their fall out and Meghan and Harry's bombshell Oprah interview.

"In big moments in life, you get a lot of perspective," Meghan explained, "It makes you wonder what you want to focus your energy on. Right now, we feel energized and excited about all of the things we've been building toward. We're also focused on our foundation. So much of the work we do includes the philanthropic space."