Queen Elizabeth Tried to Keep Prince Harry Close as Former Royal Butler Claims Meghan Markle Wanted a Different Future

Queen Elizabeth II reportedly made considerable efforts to keep Prince Harry and Meghan Markle within the Royal Family, but their desire for independence ultimately proved too difficult to reconcile with royal life, according to former palace butler Paul Burrell.

Burrell, who served members of the Royal Family for 21 years, claimed the late monarch wanted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to remain part of the institution and was prepared to offer Meghan unusual flexibility.

However, he suggested that Meghan’s vision for their future differed significantly from the arrangement the Queen had hoped to preserve.

His comments offer a perspective on the tensions surrounding Harry and Meghan’s decision to step back from senior royal duties in 2020.

Queen Elizabeth Reportedly Tried to Guide Harry and Meghan

Speaking in an earlier interview with the Daily Express on behalf of Casino.org, Burrell claimed the Queen had attempted to find a solution that would keep the couple connected to the monarchy.

“I think the Queen tried to steer Meghan and Harry on the right path, the path that she thought they should take,” he said.

Burrell admitted that he had initially welcomed Meghan’s arrival into the Royal Family and believed the couple could make a valuable contribution.

“I thought they were a breath of fresh air, a force for good, and would do great work for the Royal Family and on behalf of the Royal Family.”

However, their ambitions eventually moved in another direction.

“But they wanted their independence, and the Queen then tried to broker a deal,” he explained.

Harry and Meghan announced their decision to step away from senior royal duties in 2020 before relocating to the United States with their son, Prince Archie. Their daughter, Princess Lilibet, was born in America in 2021.

Former Butler Claims Meghan Wanted a Different Solution

Burrell suggested the Queen was particularly concerned about maintaining a close relationship with her grandson.

“She wanted Harry to stay as close to her as possible,” he claimed.

However, he attributed the failure to reach a suitable arrangement partly to Meghan’s preference for a different future.

“That couldn’t be because the American in the equation wanted a different solution,” he said.

“Meghan wanted change.”

Burrell also claimed the Queen believed Meghan would receive greater protection by remaining within the royal institution.

“The Queen herself tried to bend all the rules for Meghan. She tried to keep her within the fold, knowing that the institution could protect her better than she could be protected in the outside world.”

These remarks reflect Burrell’s interpretation of events rather than a confirmed account of private conversations between the Queen and the Sussexes.

Meghan Was Reportedly Offered an Unusual Choice Before Her Wedding

One of Burrell’s most striking claims concerned the flexibility Queen Elizabeth was reportedly prepared to offer Meghan before her marriage to Harry.

According to the former royal butler, the monarch was willing to allow Meghan to continue her acting career rather than immediately commit to full-time royal duties.

“She was a very wise woman, the Queen,” Burrell said.

He recalled the Queen’s alleged position as: “If you want to continue with your acting work, then that’s fine.”

Such an arrangement would have represented an unusual departure from expectations traditionally associated with senior members of the Royal Family.

A royal author has also previously claimed Meghan was told she could continue acting if she did not wish to undertake royal responsibilities.

Burrell further suggested that the Queen offered practical guidance to help Meghan adjust to palace life.

According to his account, the monarch proposed assistance from the Duchess of Edinburgh.

The claims portray a monarch attempting to accommodate Meghan’s professional background while encouraging her to remain within the royal household.

A Royal Departure That Changed the Family

Despite the reported efforts to find a compromise, Harry and Meghan ultimately chose to establish independent lives outside the monarchy.

Their departure marked a significant change in their relationship with the Royal Family and was followed by years of public discussion about their experiences within the institution.

Burrell’s account suggests he believes the Queen would have preferred a different outcome, one in which Harry remained close to his family and Meghan continued contributing to royal life.

However, his comments do not establish Meghan’s private motivations or prove that she alone determined the couple’s decision.

Harry and Meghan presented their departure as a joint decision, and the Queen’s precise private views cannot be independently established from Burrell’s recollections.

The former butler’s claims nevertheless highlight the difficult balance Queen Elizabeth reportedly sought to maintain between supporting Harry and Meghan’s independence and preserving their place within the Royal Family.