Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s surprising ‘request’ to Queen ‘shocked’ royal aides

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly requested a meeting with the Queen as the couple are thought to be hoping to introduce her to baby Lilibet.

• The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are said to have offered to return to the UK for a special meeting with the Queen later this year. 
• This would be Meghan’s first visit to the UK since the couple’s royal exit and it’s believed that she and Prince Harry are hoping to bring their baby daughter with them.  
• This royal news comes as Kate Middleton taught George and Charlotte this incredible skill over summer vacation.  

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not returned to the UK together since they stepped back as senior royals last year. Since then the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have settled in their Santa Barbara mansion and announced their daughter Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor's birth in June. Prince Harry has flown back to the UK in 2021 to attend Prince Philip’s funeral and the unveiling of a new Princess Diana statue. However, both times Meghan remained in the US with their son Archie and later with Lilibet too. 

Now it’s been suggested that the Duchess could join Prince Harry for a special UK trip later this year after reports alleged the couple have requested a meeting with the Queen. According to The Sun, the Sussexes have offered to fly in to see Her Majesty and they are said to be hoping to introduce her to her eleventh great-grandchild.

It’s a request that has supposedly left some royal aides "shocked", coming just months after the Duke and Duchess’ “tell-all” Oprah Winfrey interview aired. 

While the announcement of Prince Harry’s memoir that will cover the “highs and lows” of royal life has also reignited speculation of distance between the Sussexes and the Royal Family. 

A source claimed to the publication, “Harry and Meghan have made this offer but a lot of people are shocked by the sheer nerve of it. They may genuinely want to see the Queen but it’s breathtaking given what they’ve put her through this year.”

They went on to suggest that their rather surprising request has not yet been accepted by the monarch or the palace. Meanwhile, discussions have reportedly begun concerning other significant upcoming royal events.

“Her Majesty’s staff have not responded so far. In fact there has also been discussion about Christmas—and whether an invitation should be sent to Harry and Meghan, after they spurned one last year,” they explained. 

"The Queen is still very fond of Harry, and would love to see Lilibet and her brother Archie,” the source added, before claiming that courtiers were nevertheless “surprised” by the request “after what has happened.”

If the Sussexes do meet with the Queen, this would also mark the first time she would get to see baby Lilibet in person, though it’s thought that a baby photo has been circulated amongst the Royal Family. When Prince Harry and Meghan's daughter's birth was first announced, it was revealed that there was special significance behind Lilibet's name as it had been chosen in a wonderful tribute to her proud great-grandmother. 

Her Majesty would likely be delighted to be reunited with Prince Harry, Meghan and their children in the not too distant future.