Just moments after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exchanged vows, Prince Philip, husband of Queen Elizabeth, reportedly delivered a stinging remark about the couple’s wedding, according to a new book by a former royal household employee.
The Telegraph shared an excerpt from the upcoming memoir The Royal Butler, by Grant Harrold. Harry and Meghan’s wedding was held in 2018 at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.
“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,” Harrold wrote. “When Prince Philip came out, he turned to the queen and said, ‘Thank f*** that’s over.’”
It is unclear as to why Philip reportedly made that statement. To date, the royal family has not addressed Harrold’s claims.
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Royal biographer Ingrid Seward, who wrote a biography of the monarch titled Prince Philip Revealed, claimed in a 2020 interview with Vanity Fair that Philip was initially welcoming of Meghan at the beginning of her relationship with Harry. However, his feelings reportedly changed.
“Philip welcomed Meghan at the beginning, he knows what it’s like to be an outsider, and so he’s always very supportive of people marrying into the family,” Seward explained. “He quite liked Meghan at first, but their actions have left a bad taste, and as a consequence, the relationship with Harry has suffered.”
Seward wrote that Philip was deeply saddened by Harry and Meghan’s decision to step away from royal life. Additionally, he was upset they announced it on their website in 2020 without first consulting the queen, who reportedly only learned about their wishes ten minutes before the news went live.
Philip died in April 2021 at the age of 99. His funeral marked the first time Harry returned to the U.K. after exiting his royal role, according to ABC News.
Harry attended the somber event alone. Meghan, then pregnant with their daughter Lilibet, had reportedly been advised by doctors not to travel overseas from the United States.
The outlet shared the Duke of Sussex’s statement regarding Philip’s death. It read, ““My grandfather was a man of service, honour and great humor. He was authentically himself, with a seriously sharp wit, and could hold the attention of any room due to his charm—and also because you never knew what he might say next.”
It continued, “He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa: master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right ‘til the end.”
