How Queen expressed relief when Meghan couldn't make it to an important royal event, according to book claims

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last updated 17 July 2022

The Queen was overheard saying "thank goodness Meghan is not coming" before her husband’s funeral last year, according to a new book.

In his new book, investigative reporter Tom Bower alleged that the Queen expressed relief over Meghan's absence, prior to Prince Philip's funeral
The “non-specific” claim has been met with scepticism from those close to the Queen.
This royal news comes after the Queen made a heartwarming surprise appearance with Princess Anne at Thames Hospice.

Tom Bower, an investigative journalist who previously wrote unofficial biographies of Boris Johnson and Richard Branson, has written a new book about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

The book titled ‘Revenge’ (available on Amazon) claims to be a “characteristically explosive and rigorously researched account of the rift between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal family, touching on every aspect of scandal and suspicion”.

In it, he reveals the Queen expressed relief that the Duchess of Sussex couldn't attend the funeral of the Duke of Edinburgh. The monarch allegedly told aides of her feelings in a “clear voice” as she prepared to mourn her late husband.

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Buckingham Palace, in line with its long-standing policy to never issue responses to unofficial books, declined to comment.

The “non-specific” claim has also been met with scepticism from those close to the Queen. They questioned whether her focus would be anywhere other than on her late husband on the trying day of his lockdown funeral.

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The Duke's funeral took place on April 12, 2021. Due to pandemic restrictions, the touching farewell to Philip only allowed for 30 guests to be inside St George's Chapel for the proceedings and royal fans were saddened to see Her Majesty the Queen sitting alone for the service.

At the time, it was reported that Meghan was unable to attend, staying in California on doctor’s orders as she was pregnant. She reportedly made her own 'private arrangements’ to mark Philip's life.

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Anna Bailey has been the editor of Goodto since 2018. Before joining the team she was Features Editor at MSN UK, where she oversaw Family Health and Days Out. Previously, she was Digital Lifestyle Editor for the broadcaster UKTV, and Lifestyle Editor for ITV.com. Anna studied Multi-Media Journalism at Bournemouth University and went on to gain her NCTJ and NCE journalism qualifications. Anna is responsible for driving the direction and editorial strategy of Goodto. A mum and experienced baby product tester, she is passionate about providing safe, trustworthy, and relatable advice for families of all kinds.