Prince Philip reportedly felt a great sense of relief once Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s royal wedding concluded, according to a new memoir by former royal butler Grant Harrold.
Harrold recalls, “Once all the formalities were over, we watched as the happy couple, and then the other members of the Royal Family, filed out of the chapel. When Prince Philip came out, he turned to the Queen and said, ‘Thank f–k that’s over.’”
This anecdote is featured in Harrold’s upcoming book, The Royal Butler, set for release in September. Representatives for Prince Harry and the royal family have not yet commented.
Harry and Meghan tied the knot in a grand ceremony at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in 2018. The event was attended by Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away in 2022, and Prince Philip, who died the year before her, in 2021.
Stepping Away From Royal Duties
In 2020, Harry and Meghan made headlines by announcing their decision to step back from royal duties and relocate to California, where they are now raising their children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4. While Philip reportedly disapproved of the decision, he refrained from interfering.
Royal biographer Gyles Brandreth explained that Philip believed “people have to lead their lives as they think best.” He also considered Harry a “good man” and understood his desire to carve his own path.
Philip’s Reported Response to “Megxit”
According to the Daily Mail, Brandreth claimed Philip responded to the couple’s exit by saying, “It’s his [Prince Harry’s] life. I’ll soon be out of it and not before time.”
Despite disagreements, Philip was said to have been welcoming to Meghan when she joined the royal family. “He was very welcoming to Meghan because, of course, she was a newcomer and a very different newcomer,” royal biographer Ingrid Seward told Us Weekly in 2021.
Limited Contact With Meghan
However, Seward noted that Philip didn’t spend much time with Meghan, explaining that by the time she and Harry began their romance, he had already retired from public duties. “He didn’t see very much of Meghan at all [and] he didn’t really have a chance to form a relationship with her,” she said.
After Philip’s passing in April 2021, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex honored him with a tribute on their Archewell Foundation website. “Thank you for your service … You will be greatly missed,” the message read. It ended with: “In loving memory of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh 1921-2021.”