King Charles has paid a touching tribute to Commonwealth personnel just days after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry reportedly angered the monarch with their recent trip to Nigeria.
In his message marking the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Monte Cassino, King Charles honored the immense sacrifices made for the cause of freedom in Europe. "On this 80th anniversary, let us pause to reflect on the immense sacrifices made by so many for the cause of freedom in Europe," Charles stated. "Perhaps even more poignant today, let us remember all those who fought in the campaign, including the lives of the Commonwealth personnel who never returned home and lie or are remembered in the Cassino War Cemetery.
These remarks came shortly after reports surfaced that King Charles was taking measures to prevent the Commonwealth from inviting Meghan Markle and Prince Harry for visits, following their trip to Nigeria. A source had claimed that King Charles was furious about Harry and Meghan's Nigeria visit and was doing everything in his power to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Additionally, a former royal staffer commented that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's rivalry with the royal family, especially concerning royal tours, could complicate matters significantly. "The waters were muddied beyond repair the night the two abandoned the Queen and the royal family by sneaking away on a private jet to Canada, screaming as they entered the aircraft, 'Free at last!'" the former staffer told The Daily Beast. They emphasized that while overseas visits might appear leisurely, they are actually matters of foreign policy. Harry and Meghan, no longer working royals, have different priorities, yet the world often views them as equally representative of the royal family, just like William and Charles. Regular unofficial foreign tours by Harry and Meghan could complicate official royal operations abroad.
Meanwhile, a family friend revealed that Harry's relationship with his estranged family remains strained. "Relations are as bad as they've ever been; nothing has been resolved," the friend stated. However, they noted that King Charles doesn't dwell on the matter much, as he is preoccupied with his duties.
These revelations followed the disclosure of Queen Elizabeth II's true feelings about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's wedding, six years after their marriage. In royal biographer Ingrid Seward's book "My Mother and I," it was revealed that the late monarch, who passed away in September 2022, was uncomfortable with several untraditional aspects of the wedding. Queen Elizabeth was uneasy with the Prince of Wales standing in for Meghan's father, Thomas Markle, and was concerned about 96-year-old Prince Philip walking down the aisle without a stick just five weeks after a hip replacement.
The book also detailed how King Charles stepped in to walk Meghan down the aisle after her father couldn't attend due to health issues. "I asked him to, and I think he knew it was coming," Harry said in the documentary "Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70." "He immediately said, 'Yes, of course, I'll do whatever Meghan needs, and I'm here to support you.'"
