New insights have emerged regarding how the late Queen Elizabeth II may have felt about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to speak publicly about their experience within the royal family — most notably during their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

According to sources close to the royal household, the Queen viewed the televised interview, which aired while Prince Philip was gravely ill, as a personal and public betrayal. Prince Philip passed away just over a month later, in April 2021.

The interview included several explosive claims, including allegations that someone within the royal family had raised concerns about the skin tone of the couple’s unborn child, Archie. At the time, Buckingham Palace responded with a carefully worded statement: “While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”

Insiders say the Queen was troubled not only by the accusation itself, but by the way it cast suspicion on the entire royal family. One former courtier claimed the fallout left a lasting mark: “To her, it was unthinkable to accuse an unnamed family member of racism and leave it hanging over everyone. That’s why she personally insisted on the ‘recollections may vary’ line.”

Tensions reportedly remained high in the months that followed. A second source recalled the Queen’s frustration over the naming of Harry and Meghan’s daughter, Lilibet, which was also her private family nickname. Though the Sussexes claimed they consulted her beforehand, palace aides disputed that account at the time. “She was as upset as I’d ever seen her,” one former staffer told royal biographer Robert Hardman.