According to a source, the late Queen realised there could be potential damage to the Royal Family shortly before Prince Harry married Meghan Markle due to one thing affecting the Duchess of Sussex

Meghan Markle set ‘alarm bells ringing’ with the late Queen after a significant public move, according to reports.

Before marrying Prince Harry, Meghan had a very public falling out with her father Thomas Markle, who marks his 80th birthday today. It came after it emerged he staged paparazzi shots ahead of his daughter’s wedding in 2018 and later announced he would not be walking her down the aisle on her big day.

Father and daughter are not believed to have spoken since with Thomas never meeting Harry in person nor being introduced to his grandchildren Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. And Meghan’s public estrangement from her dad was something the late Queen recognised as “significant” and worried what ‘damage’ it could do to the Royal Family, a source has told the Daily Mail.

Meghan with her dad Thomas

They told the Mail’s Richard Eden: “Meghan’s public disagreements with her father set alarm bells ringing at the time. Her Majesty realised 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.

Meghan spoke out previously in her and Harry’s Netflix documentary about how she sought the advice of her husband’s grandmother when it came to her father. She said: “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 [now King Charles] that I write my dad a letter.” However, Thomas later said receiving said letter was like a “dagger to the heart”.

Meanwhile, Thomas has made various attempts to reach out to his estranged daughter in TV interviews. During an appearance on Good Morning Britain last September, he begged Meghan to let him see his grandchildren. He added: “I’ve always been here for her, I love her, I’ll love her forever. I want her to reach out to me and let me see my grandkids and let me have a little peace. It’s been five years.”

Before the feud, it appears that Meghan had been close to her father. In heartbreaking posts from The Tig, Meghan’s former blog, it was clear that however strained her relationship with her father has become, their bond was once strong.