The Princess of Wales had to reluctantly stay in England as Royal family members rushed to the Queen's death bed so Meghan wouldn't come, it's been claimed.
New details have emerged over the late-Queen's death in September, as it was revealed Kate has "built up resentment" after she was obliged to stay back in a bid to prevent Harry and Meghan travelling to Balmoral as a couple.
Royal biographer Robert Jobson writes in his latest book Our King that Charles had ordered both stay behind as it as "not appropriate" for wives to attend.
Kate was pictured driving to collect children Prince George and Princess Charlotte from school on the day it was announced the Queen was bedridden at the family's Scottish bolthole.
Charles and Camilla had both been present at the time of the Queen's death on the afternoon of September 8, alongside Princess Anne and the monarch's physician, Professor Sir Huw Thomas.
Prince William, Princes Edward and Andrew and Sophie, Countess of Wessex, were also seen arriving at the Scottish estate before being later joined by Prince Harry, but were too late, it later transpired.
Mr Jobson writes that the future Queen, however, had desperately wanted to be at Balmoral due to her close relationship with the monarch.
"Harry was insisting Meghan travel with him to Scotland as the Queen’s life ebbed away but the King said it was only for the children and grandchildren to be with the Queen,” Jobson said.
According to the biographer, Charles asked Prince William not to bring Kate as, "if Catherine doesn’t come, Meghan can’t either, it’s not appropriate for wives to attend".
Mr Jobson writes: "Privately, he wanted to say Meghan was not welcome but he couldn’t say that to Harry so he personally intervened and asked Kate to stay back so that it was fairer on Meghan.
"Kate deliberately stayed away but she desperately wanted to be there with the Queen in her last moments.
"That’s eaten Kate up and has built up resentment towards Meghan."
The two royal couples, relationships between which have become especially frosty since Harry and Meghan released their tell-all Netflix docuseries, were pictured together publicly in the days after the Queen's death as they greeted mourners outside Windsor Castle.
The showing was the first time the four were seen together officially since the shock announcement in 2020 that Harry and Meghan would be retreating from public life, with Mr Jobson writing how insiders claimed it had been one of the "hardest things" she'd ever had to do.
While the walkabout was initially seen as a show of unity, the biographer wrote: "Catherine later admitted to a senior royal that, such was the ill feeling between the two couples, the joint walkabout was one of the hardest things she'd ever had to do."
The revelation comes the same week as Buckingham Palace announced Prince Harry would be attending the King's Coronation solo next month.
A statement from the Palace confirmed Meghan would be staying in California for the historic event on May 6, alongside their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
