Queen Elizabeth II believed that Prince Harry was "so consumed" by his love for Meghan Markle that it "clouded his judgement", a new book has claimed.
The late monarch was "mystified" by the Sussexes' behaviour when they started speaking out against the Royal Family, and believed the couple were "quite mad", royal correspondent Robert Jobson wrote in his new book 'Our King'.
She was "let down" not only because Harry decided to step down as a senior royal, but also because she saw the couple's departure as "a missed opportunity", Mr Jobson added.
Despite being disappointed, however, the Queen had "great affection" for Harry and hoped he would "find peace and happiness" after moving to the US with Meghan.
An extract of the book, serialised in the Daily Mail, reads: "In truth, by the time his grandmother died, Harry had precious few supporters left in the family. Even the Queen, who had always had great affection for him, eventually tired of his outbursts.
"First, she had wearied of the volatile exchanges between Harry and his brother, which sometimes took place in her presence. Then Harry and Meghan had started publicly criticising both the monarchy and members of the Royal Family.
"At that point, the Queen was frankly mystified by the couple’s behaviour, describing it as 'quite mad'. She came to believe, however, that her grandson was 'so consumed' by his love for his wife that it was 'clouding his judgment'."
The book's author was also told by a royal source that Harry regularly called his grandmother from California, but she found their conversations "quite difficult and wearisome" - and urged her grandson to speak to his father directly.
However, Harry told Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 that his father had stopped taking his calls after the Sussexes moved to the US.
In their tell-all interview, the couple spoke about their decision of stepping down as senior royals with Harry saying he felt "let down" by his father.
Harry told Oprah: "When we were in Canada, I had three conversations with my grandmother and two conversations with my father before he stopped taking my calls."
After the Queen asked her son Charles, who became King after her death in September 2022, why he was not answering his son's calls, he replied he was "not a bank", a source claimed.
Mr Jobson's new book, which chronicles the deteriorating relationship between Harry and other senior royals, also claimed that the Duke of Sussex was "infuriated" when his father told him he could not pay for Meghan in the future.
The incident took place during a meeting between the royal princes, and Charles, in the run-up to Harry and Meghan’s wedding.
Harry had been intending to reveal to his father his intention to wed Meghan - but William had already broken the news.
Then, after Harry told Charles himself, his older brother spoke first again, reportedly saying "Are you sure, Harold?".
But what followed was a "bombshell", where Charles told his youngest that he "couldn't afford to pay for Meghan in the future" alongside Camilla, William and Catherine, and their young family. This reportedly "infuriated" Harry.
Mr Jobson's book comes out on April 13 but is serialised in The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday this weekend.
