Meghan Markle’s final take on the Queen as she reflects on her ‘friendship’

Meghan Markle shared a ‘warm’ bond with the late Queen Elizabeth II, with it being reported that when Meghan first came into the royal fold, the Queen helped “fast-track” her into the family

The Duchess of Sussex enjoyed a close relationship with the late Queen Elizabeth II and the pair were often seeing sharing jokes and sweet conversations, ahead of Meghan Markle stepping down as a senior royal in 2020, alongside Prince Harry.

In a chat following the Queen’s death on September 8, 2022, Meghan, 42, shared that she thought the Queen was a “shining example” of female leadership.

Talking to Variety, Meghan shared: “What’s so beautiful is to look at the legacy that [Harry’s] grandmother was able to leave on so many fronts. Certainly, in terms of female leadership, she is the most shining example of what that looks like.

“I feel deep gratitude to have been able to spend time with her and get to know her. It’s been a complicated time, but my husband, ever the optimist, said, ‘Now she’s reunited with her husband’.”

Opening up further, Meghan looked back on her first official engagement with the Queen. She explained: “I’ve reflected on that first official engagement that I had with her, how special that felt. I feel fortunate. And I continue to be proud to have had a nice warmth with the matriarch of the family.”

W magazine reported that the Queen was making a “particular effort” with Meghan when she was first welcomed into the fold and that they were in constant communication.

READ MORE: Meghan Markle ‘terrified’ Archie and Lilibet will have ‘no relationship’ with cousins, claims expert

Royal expert Duncan Larcombe told Fox News the pair had “forged a particularly close relationship”. He explained: “Meghan seems to have forged a particularly close relationship with the queen if you compare that to when other people have married into the Royal Family.”

He explained how Meghan had been “fast-tracked” into The Firm, with the former Suits actress being included in many royal traditions and public events.

He continued: “The queen, last year in the first few months of Meghan’s entry into the royal family, made a particular and slightly unusual effort to welcome her in.”

And even after Harry and Meghan left their senior royal positions, it appeared that the trio still share a relatively close bond, with Harry speaking favourably of his beloved “Gan-gan” on countless occasions, despite the pair encountering issues in their relationships with other members of the Royal Family.

Meghan was “fast-tracked” in the Royal Family (Image:Getty Images)
But despite the trio’s bond, Harry was reportedly keen for his children to not follow all of the Queen’s footsteps – even before he and Meghan stepped away from the Royals and relocated to California.

Reflecting on when Harry met up with close friend Dr Jane Goodall at he and Meghan’s old royal residence, Frogmore Cottage, royal author Robert Lacey spoke about an interaction between Dr Goddall and a then-newborn, Archie.

In his biography, Battle of Brothers, he wrote: “Meghan came into the room as the interview drew to a close. She was holding the newborn Archie tenderly in her arms and she offered the baby to the 85-year-old Goodall.”

In the book, it described how Dr Goodall was then a bit taken aback by a joke she made about Archie keeping up with royal traditions. She said: “He was very tiny and very sleepy. I think I was one of the first to cuddle him outside the family. I made Archie do the Queen’s Wave saying, ‘I suppose he’ll have to learn this. Harry’s reaction brooked no doubt, ‘No! He’s not growing up like that'”

A few months after this interaction Harry and Meghan stepped away from the Royal Family.