Talks between Meghan Markle, Prince Harry, and the Royal Family continue, but there are two glaring issues that the estranged couple will need to ‘fix’ before things smooth over

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are being criticized for two major missteps.

The pair’s separation from the British Royal Family continues to grow more devastating by the day as conversations about repairing their relationship seem to have come to a standstill. After all, the couple’s past choices reportedly “set alarm bells ringing” before everything collapsed altogether.

The first issue was a foreshadowing moment, which reportedly left even the late Queen Elizabeth II concerned. Meghan sought out advice from her grandmother-in-law about how to manage her estranged relationship with her father who is now turning 80 and hasn’t heard from Meghan in years.

Harry was recently slammed for a controversial decision to accept the Pat Tillman Award

At the time, the Queen advised Meghan to write him a letter. Meghan previously told Oprah in the tell-all interview: “I reached out to Her Majesty and was, like, ‘This is what’s going on. What do you want me to do? I want…whatever advice you have. Ultimately, it was suggested by the Queen and the Prince of Wales that I write my dad a letter.”

Meghan took the advice, but her father, who was hopeful it would be an olive branch, described it as “a dagger to the heart.” Meghan’s uneasy footing with her family was a concern to the Queen, reports the Daily Mail. A source said: “Meghan’s public disagreements with her father set alarm bells ringing at the time. Her Majesty realized the potential damage they could do to the Royal Family in general. Looking back, the Queen might have had an inkling of what was to come.”

Her father told the Mail: “I’ve never been one for birthdays, but I know the one person I most want to hear from, Meghan, won’t be in touch … I would love to meet my grandchildren, but I would be happy with a photograph at this stage.”

Meghan sought advice from the Queen

As for the second concern, Queen Camilla felt wronged after Harry’s comments about her in his memoir, Spare. He branded his stepmother as a “villain” who held much value in public optics to the point where he considered her “dangerous.”

The Queen took this as a blow with her friend speaking out to her defense. Fiona Shelburne told the Sunday Times: “Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts, but she doesn’t let it get to her. Her philosophy is always, ‘Don’t make a thing of it and it will settle down – least said, soonest mended.'”

Richard Eden, royal expert and commentator for the Daily Mail, penned an op-ed, citing these two moments as critical issues that need to be addressed before the family can see progress in their relationships. He said that these items are things they “must fix,” adding: “Perhaps it’s time to mend a few fences back in Britain. “