Meghan Markle showed her confidence and independence with her four-word reply to Prince Charles, experts have said.
Ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018 it was confirmed that the Duchess's' father, Thomas, would not be attending.
Meanwhile, her air force veteran uncle, Michael, was also not invited to the royal wedding on May 19, the Mirror reports.
Instead, the Prince of Wales offered to walk her down the aisle of St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on her big day.
However, her reply was not quite what he expected.
She asked: "Can we meet halfway?," according to a new biography of The Queen by Robert Hardman, serialised on MailOnline.
The author wrote the response "was an indicator that this was no blushing bride, but a confident, independent woman determined to make a grand entrance on her own."
Ahead of the ceremony the signs were very positive, the Queen appointed her Commonwealth Youth ambassador.
The fact that bride-to-be Meghan accompanied him to the 2018 Commonwealth Youth Summit proved her confidence in them.
Meghan later walked down the aisle with a 16ft veil with hand-stitched detail depicting the flowers of every Commonwealth nation.
This was done in homage to the Queen's Coronation gown.
Meghan's mother, Doria Ragland, had flown from California and was the only member of her family present.
Her father said he wanted to spare the couple any embarrassment after an incident whereby he posted for paparazzi pictures.
However, it's unclear why Meghan's uncle Thomas, who once secured her an internship in Argentina's US embassy was not invited.
Mr Hardman notes that "the dynamics of her family certainly eclipsed the usual criticisms about the Royal Family being dysfunctional."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stunned the world when they quit royal duties in 2020, revealing they were starting a new life.
The book also reveals the Queen knew the couple would not return to royal life after learning they had left with their dogs in tow.
Some within Buckingham Palace expected them to one day return to the fold, but the 95-year-old monarch knew otherwise.
She told a visitor she did not expect them to resume royal life. When asked it, she replied: “Of course not. They took the dogs.”
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