Meghan first met Queen Elizabeth II in 2016

Prince Harry previously opened up about Queen Elizabeth II’s response when he asked her for permission to marry Meghan Markle.

In his tell-all memoir Spare, which was released in 2023, Harry, 40, discussed a lot about his family and detailed both negative and positive moments.

One moment which he discussed in detail was when he asked his grandmother – who died in September 2022 – for permission to marry Meghan Markle.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced their engagement in 2017 (Credit: BBC News)

Moment Prince Harry asked Queen for permission to marry Meghan Markle

Harry proposed to Meghan in 2017, before they tied the knot in May 2018.

But before he could pop the question, the Duke of Sussex asked his grandmother for permission.

Was she being sarcastic? Ironic? Deliberately cryptic?

He claimed he was told by his advisors that he had to seek permission from the queen due to royal rules. Harry waited for the perfect moment to ask Her Majesty, which came during a shooting trip in Sandringham.

Harry said he told his grandmother: “I’ve been told that I have to ask your permission before I can propose.”

The Duke of Sussex asked his grandmother for permission to marry Meghan Markle (Credit: SplashNews.com)

What did Queen Elizabeth say when Harry asked to marry Meghan?

The queen, according to Harry, replied: “You have to?”

Harry said he told Her Majesty that he had been told he had to ask. The queen then reportedly added: “Well then, I suppose I have to say yes.”

Harry admitted in his book: “I didn’t get it. Was she being sarcastic? Ironic? Deliberately cryptic? Was she indulging in a bit of wordplay?

“I’d never known Granny to do any wordplay and this would be a surpassingly bizarre moment (not to mention widely inconvenient) for her to start, but maybe she just saw the chance to play off my unfortunate use of the world ‘have’ and couldn’t resist.”

Harry said Meghan’s first meeting with the queen was “very pleasant” (Credit: SplashNews.com)

What happened when Meghan first met Queen Elizabeth II?

In his memoir, Harry also detailed the moment Meghan first met the queen.

Harry first introduced Meghan to his grandmother in 2016. At the same time, Donald Trump was getting ready to take part in the American Presidential Election.

According to Harry, it seems the queen was curious about Meghan’s take on Trump’s presidential bid.

Harry wrote in his book of the first meeting: “It was all very pleasant. Granny even asked Meg what she thought of Donald Trump.

“(This was just before the November 2016 election, so everyone in the world seemed to be thinking and talking about the Republican candidate.)”

Harry added: “Meg thought politics a no-win game, so she changed the subject to Canada.”

Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022 at the age of 96. Both Harry and Meghan, who moved to America in 2020 after quitting royal duties, returned to the UK to attend her state funeral.