In the lead-up to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s wedding in May 2018, reports have surfaced detailing Queen Elizabeth II’s apparent reservations about the ceremony.

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Royal author Ingrid Seward wrote about Meghan’s wedding in her book My Mother And I.

Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and royal biographer, is known as one of the most prominent and respected writers on the British royal family – having published over a dozen books on the famous family, including The Queen’s Speech, My Husband and I and Prince Philip Revealed.

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In the book, she claimed that the late Queen told one of her closest confidantes Lady Elizabeth Anson that Meghan’s dress was “too white”.

Seward penned: “In the monarch’s view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal.”

According to royal author Tom Bower in his book Revenge, the late Queen questioned Meghan’s decision to wear a veil, given it was her second marriage.

Bower writes, “The Queen also questioned why Meghan needed a veil for the wedding, given it was to be her second marriage.”

Traditionally, veils are associated with first-time brides, symbolizing purity. Meghan, who was previously married to film producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2013, chose a 16-foot-long veil trimmed with lace depicting flora from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries.

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Her dress, designed by Clare Waight-Keller for Givenchy, was described by the designer as aiming to “convey modernity.”

Additionally, reports suggest that Meghan initially wished to wear an emerald-studded tiara from Queen Elizabeth II’s collection on her wedding day.

However, Queen Elizabeth II reportedly denied this request due to the tiara’s controversial provenance, believed to have come from Russia through unclear channels.

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Instead, Meghan wore Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau Tiara, valued at around $2.5 million.

These insights shed light on the nuanced dynamics between Meghan and Queen Elizabeth II during the planning of the royal wedding.

There have also been claims that the late Queen’s husband Prince Philip had a spiteful nickname for Meghan.

The late Duke of Edinburgh – who passed away in 2021 at the age of 99 – allegedly had a spiteful nickname for Markle, according to a revealing excerpt from My Mother And I

In the book, Seward discloses that Prince Philip referred to Markle as the “Duchess of Windsor”. This nickname is a pointed reference to the controversial American socialite Wallis Simpson, who held the same title.

Wallis, a divorced American, married Edward VIII in 1937 after he abdicated the British throne, sparking a major scandal.