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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Jennifer Newton

Meghan's tense relationship with royals ahead of UK trip - cryptic remark and party snub

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have announced they will be coming back to the UK next month.

The couple will visit several charities close to their hearts in what will be their first trip back to the country since June's Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the Queen. So with them heading back to Britain for several days, could their trip see them also make time to visit some of their royal relatives? During the Jubilee weekend, the couple along with their children Archie and Lilibet, are known to have met up in private with the Queen, Prince Charles and Camilla.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June (Getty Images)

However, the Sussexes headed back to California before the festivities had even ended - and did not join the rest of the family at the Jubilee pageant.

So what is their relationship with the rest of the royals like now? Here we take a look...

Harry, Meghan and the Queen

When it was revealed Harry and Meghan would be quitting their royal roles, the Queen was keen to point out they would still be "much loved members of my family".

In March 2021, a little over a year after quitting as royals, Harry and Meghan gave a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they made a series of shocking and controversial claims about their time as senior royals.

Meghan claimed she had been refused mental health treatment after revealing to palace staff that she was struggling with suicidal thoughts while she was pregnant with their son Archie.

Harry and Meghan with the Queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony, shortly after their wedding in 2018 (Getty Images)

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The couple also claimed that questions had been asked about what colour Archie's skin would be, and Meghan said she believed that the colour of her little boy's skin was the reason he wasn't given the title of Prince.

However, during the chat, one person to escape criticism from the pair was the Queen, with Harry saying he had "too much respect" for his grandmother.

But in response to the interview and claims contained in it, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying the Queen was "saddened" by the allegations raised, but added that "some recollections may vary".

Despite this, the couple has still had nothing but praise for Her Majesty and paid tribute to her by naming their daughter Lilibet - a pet name of the Queen.

In April of this year, Harry and Meghan paid a surprise visit to the Queen on their way to the Invictus Games in The Hague - and later Harry gave an interview where he talked about seeing his grandmother, but made several cryptic comments about those around her.

Harry and Meghan last saw the Queen at the Platinum Jubilee weekend in June (Getty Images)

Harry told the host of his joy at being back in his grandmother's company and revelled in making her laugh.

He said: "Being with her, it was great.

"It was just so nice to see her … She’s on great form. She's always got a great sense of humour with me and I'm just making sure she's protected and got the right people around her."

Several weeks later, the couple were back in the UK for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations - and brought their children Archie and Lilibet with them.

The Queen finally got to meet her great-grandchild named after her - although the Sussexes were reportedly banned from allowing a photographer to capture the moment.

Harry, Meghan and Prince Charles

Harry with his father Prince Charles - the pair have had a rocky relationship (Getty)

When Harry first started dating Meghan, his relationship with his father seemed strong - with Charles even stepping in to walk Meghan down the aisle on her wedding day.

After the Sussexes moved to America, the Mirror revealed that Charles had been working hard to keep in touch with his youngest son and his family.

But during the Oprah interview, Harry made some explosive claims about the nature of the relationship with his dad.

Harry accused his dad of cutting him off financially and claimed he had stopped taking his calls.

Shortly after the Oprah interview, the royals went into mourning after the death of Prince Philip at the age of 99.

It saw Harry return to the UK for the first time since quitting the Firm to attend his grandfather's funeral.

Many pinned their hopes on the reunion of father and son being the catalyst for them to clear the air.

Charles shares a joke with Meghan on Commonwealth Day in 2019 (AFP via Getty Images)

But following the service, Harry quickly returned to the US, where Meghan had remained as she was heavily pregnant with their daughter Lilibet.

When Harry and Meghan made their surprise visit to the UK on their way to the Netherlands in April, they had a short meeting with Charles and Camilla - as well as the Queen.

When it came to a specific question about if he missed Charles during an interview with NBC, he refused to answer, quickly changing the subject. It later emerged that their secret meeting only lasted 15 minutes and was “cordial but slightly awkward”.

Meanwhile, at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Charles got to meet his granddaughter Lilibet for the first time - with a source saying it was a "special" and "emotional" meeting.

However, father and son were not pictured together in public at any point during the celebrations.

Harry, Meghan and Prince William

Harry and Prince William are known to have a frosty relationship (REUTERS)

Even before stepping down as a senior royal, Harry's relationship with his older brother Prince William appeared to be under pressure.

A rift between them was reportedly sparked by William's concerns over Harry's fast-developing relationship with Meghan and the tense row quickly boiled over

And during the Oprah interview, Harry said he and William are on "different paths" and there is "space" between them.

Speaking about his father and brother's future roles as kings, the prince said: “I am part of the system with them, I always have been, but I guess—and I'm very aware of this—my brother can't leave that system, but I have. My father and my brother are trapped."

According to friends, William was "very upset" and "reeling" over the claims, with his head "all over the place".

Making his first public appearance since the interview alongside wife the Duchess of Cambridge later that week, William couldn't hold back his thoughts.

Asked at the end of a visit to a school if he had spoken to his brother since the allegations were aired, William said: “No I haven’t spoken to him yet but I will do.”

William and Harry with Meghan in 2018 (Getty Images)

When Sky News reporter Inzamam Rashid asked immediately afterwards if the royal family was a racist family, William turned back towards the press, saying: “We’re very much not a racist family.”

Weeks later, the brothers reunited at Prince Philip's funeral and were pictured chatting. They also came together last July to unveil a statue of their late mother Princess Diana.

And this was the last time they were spotted together in public - as William and his family were thought to be on holiday in France when Harry and Meghan made a surprise visit to the UK.

Even at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations, they appeared to stay apart from each other - and William and the rest of the Cambridges were unable to attend Lilibet's first birthday party in Windsor that weekend as they had a long-planned engagement in Cardiff to attend.

Harry, Meghan and Kate

Meghan and Kate Middleton chat on Christmas Day in 2018 (Getty Images)

Before dating Meghan, Harry appeared to have a special bond with sister-in-law Kate, calling her the sister he never had.

After marrying Meghan, there had been reports that Harry's wife upset Kate in a row about the flower girl dresses

But during the Oprah interview, Meghan claimed it was the other way around.

She added she had now forgiven Kate, saying that she's a "good person" and that Kate gave her flowers to apologise for the incident.

Since moving to the US, Meghan and Kate have yet to be reunited in public as they were not seen together at the Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

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