The late Queen Elizabeth II was known for making blunt and, at times, surprisingly cutting remarks throughout her lifetime. The comment she allegedly made to photographer Annie Leibovitz about removing her crown still lives rent-free in our minds!
She also didn’t hold back when it came to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – from their proposed plans to be half-in, half-out royals, to reportedly telling the former Suits actress that “we don’t speak to people like that” when she was allegedly rude to a staff member during a menu tasting ahead of the royal wedding.
And another comment she reportedly made to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, this time in reference to their daughter Princess Lilibet, who was, of course, controversially named after the Queen herself, might just be one of her most memorable!
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The Queen Shut Down Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Photographer Request
According to The Express, the Sussexes wanted to make the most of their daughter's first (and, although they didn't know it at the time, only!) meeting with the then-monarch when they flew to the U.K. for her Platinum Jubilee in June 2022. They reportedly asked if they could bring a photographer along to capture the moment… but the late Queen was not on board!
In fact, she is said to have shut the request down immediately, with a firm "no chance." This is reportedly because the meeting – which also coincided with Lilibet's birthday – was deemed a strictly "private family meeting."
There were also reported concerns about privacy, particularly given the couple's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey the year before, which the royal family must have still been reeling from. It was allegedly feared that any photos taken by the couple's own photographer could later appear on U.S. television networks or in the tabloids – something the Queen was understandably keen to avoid!
Prince Harry Recalls The Queen's Meeting With Prince Archie And Princess Lilibet
Prince Harry touched on his children's June 2022 meeting with his grandmother in his memoir, Spare. And although he didn't get his way when it came to bringing a photographer along, it seems like there were no hard feelings, as the meeting itself went well.
"Archie making his deep bows, his baby sister Lilibet cuddling the monarch's shins," the Invictus Games founder recalled in his memoir.
And while her response to the photographer may have been short, blunt, and some might even argue brutal, the Queen's reaction to meeting her great-grandchildren was reportedly very different. As per Prince Harry's memoir: "Sweetest children, Granny said, sounding bemused. She'd expected them to be a bit more ... American, I think? Meaning in her mind, more rambunctious."
