Prince Philip’s true feelings about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding have been revealed in a new memoir by former royal butler Grant Harrold. According to an excerpt published by The Telegraph on Monday, after the ceremony, Prince Philip expressed his intense relief in a candid four-word remark.
As the couple and other royal family members exited St. George’s Chapel following the nuptials, Prince Philip reportedly turned to Queen Elizabeth II and said, “Thank f–k that’s over.”
This comment, highlighted in Harrold’s upcoming memoir The Royal Butler, sheds light on the Duke of Edinburgh’s reaction to the highly publicized 2018 wedding. Both the late Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended the ceremony, which was a major royal event of the year.
While Prince Philip was reportedly not thrilled about Harry and Meghan’s decision to step down from royal duties in 2020, he refrained from publicly intervening. Biographer Gyles Brandreth noted that Prince Philip understood that people should lead their lives as they see fit. He acknowledged Harry’s desire to do things his way, calling him a “good man.”
Philip’s reaction to the couple’s decision to move to California, known as “Megxit,” was reportedly matter-of-fact. He commented, “It’s his [Prince Harry’s] life,” adding, “I’ll soon be out of it and not before time.”
Despite the distance, Philip was said to have been welcoming to Meghan when she joined the royal family, though he didn’t have much chance to form a close bond with her due to his retirement. According to biographer Ingrid Seward, he didn’t see much of Meghan at the time, which may have limited their relationship.
Following Philip’s death in April 2021, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued a statement expressing their gratitude for his service and honoring his memory on the Archewell Foundation website.
