The late Queen Elizabeth II, known for her warm and gracious demeanor, responded with a chilling silence when Prince Harry rang during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a former Buckingham Palace switchboard operator.
This call came after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their official royal duties and relocated to the United States, a move that deeply affected royal dynamics.
The operator, speaking to the Daily Mail, recounted: “Whenever the Queen answered a call, she would always thank you before taking the conversation. But when I informed her that Harry was calling, there was a stony silence. It was so awkward that I had to break it by saying, ‘Thank you, Your Majesty,’ before connecting them.”
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Such a reaction was highly unusual, especially given the Queen’s famed politeness toward palace staff. The silence spoke volumes about the growing distance between the monarch and her grandson.
Recent revelations have shed light on the fractured relationship between the late Queen and Prince Harry. While they once shared a close bond, tensions escalated following Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal life.
Even before their transatlantic move in early 2020, family insiders had noted signs of strain. Lady Elizabeth Anson, a close confidante of the Queen who passed away in 2020, disclosed details to journalist Sally Bedell Smith about the monarch’s disappointment over Harry’s approach to planning his wedding.
Harry reportedly bypassed the traditional approval channels by dealing directly with the Archbishop of Canterbury instead of the Dean of Windsor, upsetting the Queen. Lady Anson revealed, “Harry has blown his relationship with his grandmother. She said she was really upset. I was shocked when the Queen told me how saddened she was.”
Further compounding tensions, Meghan’s decision not to inform the Queen about her wedding dress choice and an incident where Harry allegedly lost his temper during a brief phone call evidenced growing fractures within the family.
These episodes collectively illustrate the profound challenges that affected one of the most storied royal relationships, leaving a lasting impact on the late Queen’s final years.