Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Lifestyle
Amy Mackelden

The "Unsympathetic Response" Prince Harry Received From a Royal Aide About Putting Queen Elizabeth in an "Awkward Position" That Might "Belittle" Her

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry attend at the annual Chelsea Flower show at Royal Hospital Chelsea on May 18, 2015.

Prince Harry has been outspoken about his adoration of his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. According to one royal author, the Duke of Sussex's deference to the late Queen meant that he sometimes feared requesting too much of the beloved monarch.

According to royal biographer Valentine Low, Prince Harry wanted to ask Queen Elizabeth to film a video to promote the 2016 Invictus Games, via the Daily Mail. However, as Low wrote in his book Courtiers, Prince Harry reportedly said of the idea, "I don't want to put her in an awkward position."

The Duke of Sussex reportedly said of the project, "I don't know if it is going to belittle anything she does." As a result, Harry allegedly decided to contact the former Queen's private secretary, Sir Christopher Geidt, for advice. But according to Low, the prince received a "rather unsympathetic response," with Geidt reportedly saying, "If you want to ask The Queen, ask The Queen."

Luckily, Prince Harry's alleged fears were completely unfounded, and Queen Elizabeth was reportedly "more than willing to help."

Still, when it came to filming the Invictus Games video alongside his grandmother, Harry "was nervous how it was going to go," a source told Low.

The video—which later went viral—was filmed in just two takes, and saw Harry and The Queen receive a phone call from the Obamas. After filming was complete, Elizabeth reportedly said, "Oh this is rather fun...People should ask me to do these more often."

A source told Low that Queen Elizabeth had no hesitation in agreeing to take part in the video, as she "wanted to support her grandson." As the source told Low, "She wanted to support the cause, and was happy for having some fun in the process." Obviously, the final product speaks for itself.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.