Prince Harry reportedly wanted wife Meghan Markle to be with him as he travelled to Balmoral to be with the Queen in her final days, but was told by his father that she wasn’t welcome.

Prince Harry has disclosed the sharp eight-word response he gave to King Charles when informed that his wife, Meghan Markle, was not invited to join Queen Elizabeth II during her final moments.

As Harry journeyed to be with his grandmother in September 2022, he learned that while other royals were gathering as the Queen’s health failed, Meghan was excluded.

En route to Scotland to visit his ailing grandmother, Harry expressed to his father, then the Prince of Wales, his wish for Meghan’s presence. Charles, however, reportedly insisted that Meghan should not attend.

Ultimately, Meghan did not travel with Harry, who flew solo to Aberdeen.

In his autobiography, ‘Spare’, Harry recounts how Charles called him during his trip, stating: “He [Charles] said I was welcome at Balmoral, but he didn’t want… her. He started to lay out his reason, which was nonsensical, and disrespectful, and I wasn’t having it.”

Harry retorted firmly to his father’s comments about Meghan: “Don’t ever speak about my wife that way.”, reports OK!.

He continued, revealing Charles’s reaction: “He stammered, apologetic, saying he simply didn’t want a lot of people around. No other wives were coming, Kate wasn’t coming, he said, therefore Meg shouldn’t. Then that’s all you needed to say.”

The Queen passed away at Balmoral, her “happy place,” at 3.10pm as per her official death certificate, but Harry only arrived at the nearby Aberdeen International Airport at 6.46pm.

This revelation of hidden tension comes as Meghan Markle was spotted this weekend giving a talk at her close friend Oprah Winfrey’s book club session in California. During her talk, Meghan’s children’s book The Bench, and Prince Harry’s autobiography Spare were displayed – in the ‘hometown heroes’ section of the shop, which celebrates local authors.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, King Charles, 75, and Queen Camilla, 76, commemorated the two year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death this past Sunday by attending a church ceremony near Balmoral, in memory of his mother.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also paid tribute to the occasion by sharing a message on social media, writing: “Today marks two years since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II… The late Queen’s dedication to the UK and Commonwealth taught us that whatever challenges our country faces, the value of service always endures.

“For the 70 glorious years of her reign, she was at the heart of this nation’s life. Today we honour her memory.”