Queen Elizabeth II was left "confused" and "offended" after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle departed for the United States without saying goodbye, according to former royal butler Paul Burrell. The couple had been in the UK celebrating the first birthday of their daughter, Lilibet, but left unexpectedly.
Lilibet's First Birthday
When Princess Lilibet turned one, the late Queen had reportedly baked a cake for her great-granddaughter and hoped to join the festivities. However, Harry and Meghan held a private picnic at Frogmore Cottage instead. The following day, the Queen expected them for tea but was told they had already left for America.
Paul Burrell's Account
Burrell, who served as a royal footman, recalled the Queen's reaction upon learning of their departure. "The Queen replied with a six-word question: 'What do you mean they've gone?'" Burrell said. He described her as "confused" by the sudden move and expressed disappointment on her behalf. "She was devoid of jealousy, anger, envy, all those traits that we associate with other people she didn't have. She was just a very simple soul. I wish the world could have known her the way I knew her," Burrell added.
Sadness in Later Years
Being away from her great-granddaughter Lilibet was a source of sadness for the Queen in her later years. The nickname Lilibet was the Queen's own childhood name, given when she could not pronounce Elizabeth. Harry and Meghan had honoured her by using it for their daughter, but the distance reportedly weighed on the monarch.
