Queen Elizabeth II’s death last year marked the end of an era for the royal family. She was the longest-serving monarch in history, working with no less than 15 Prime Ministers during her 70 years on the throne. She was mourned worldwide, and the day she passed at Balmoral, it was her closest family who gathered. However, Meghan Markle was nowhere to be seen, despite her and Harry being in the UK at the time.

Harry arrived some time after his family members and didn’t get to say a final last goodbye to his beloved grandmother. As soon as the plane had landed in Scotland, he saw the news of the queen’s passing. 

The funeral was the first meeting between Meghan and Kate in years. Their relationship had been destroyed after what Meghan had claimed about the royals, and most likely, the two didn’t exchange any words at the funeral arrangement. They could’ve met at Balmoral when the queen died. However, a theory states that Meghan didn’t go – all because of Kate.

When Harry and Meghan tied the knot in 2018, royal fans – and the royal family itself – thought it was the start of a long and prosperous life within the Firm. The two were to become great working royals, increasing their popularity in the US because of Meghan Markle.

Meghan Markle and Queen Elizabeth

It had started well; the public accepted the couple, and the royals (especially Queen Elizabeth) were thrilled. And as the Queen was a lifelong dog-lover, things only became better once Meghan met her Corgis.

Since the early days of their dating, the royals took to Meghan. Queen Elizabeth gave her blessing for her marriage to Harry, and even the royal pooches seemed to approve!

In their first joint interview, hours after Harry and Meghan announced their engagement, the Duchess said the queen’s dogs were “just laying on my feet during tea. It was very sweet.”

Harry then chimed in: “I’ve spent the last 33 years being barked at – this one walks in, absolutely nothing.”

Harry and Meghan dated for a while before becoming engaged in 2017, later tying the knot in St George’s Chapel, Windsor, the following year. As with every wedding, there were plenty of celebrations. However, when it came to Harry and Meghan’s wedding, there was also a lot of drama – which ended in tears.

While the joy of marrying was there, Meghan reportedly had problems with the royals. She apparently didn’t feel welcomed by everyone, but the person who helped her feel more at ease was Queen Elizabeth.

Of course, it was a massive step for Harry to introduce his then-girlfriend Meghan to the queen. Not only because she was the queen, but also because he felt Meghan was the love of his life – meaning everything had to go smoothly with the monarch.

In 2018, shortly before Harry and Meghan announced their engagement, Harry brought Meghan to Balmoral Castle to meet Queen Elizabeth.

“He wanted to introduce Meghan to the queen. It went well,” a source told US Magazine at the time. “It’ll no doubt be the first of many encounters.”

“She’s always been warm and inviting and really welcoming”

And the source was correct. It was the first of many encounters, and after the couple married, Meghan’s relationship with Queen Elizabeth blossomed.

In June 2018, after Meghan joined the queen on a solo appearance, a source told US Weekly, “[Her Majesty] has a brilliant sense of humor. That’s one of the first things that brought her and Meghan closer. It’s that warm side of her that has made Meghan feel so at ease.”

In a 2021 tell-all interview with CBS, Meghan spoke highly about the queen and how she took care of the former Suits actress during their first engagement together.

Queen Elizabeth and the Duchess traveled to Cheshire for their first royal engagement together, where the two opened a bridge as well as Chester’s Storyhouse Theatre. Moreover, they also attended a lunch with guests of the city council.

Surprisingly, Meghan revealed that the queen was more relaxed than people might think.

“We were in the car going between engagements. And she has a blanket that sits across her knees for warmth, and it was chilly,” Meghan recalled. “She was like, ‘Meghan, come on,’ and put it over my knees as well. And it made me think of my grandmother, where she’s always been warm and inviting and really welcoming.”

Queen Elizabeth and Meghan Markle formed a powerful bond. But although she thought the actress was terrific, the queen was worried when they began dating.