Exclusive: Unveiling Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Royal Family Relations Post Step Back

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have separated themselves from their relatives in the United Kingdom since their surprising decision to step back from their senior royal duties in March 2020.

Almost a year after their initial departure, Buckingham Palace officially announced in February 2021 that Harry and Meghan would not be resuming their roles as working royals. And just a month later, they openly expressed their frustrations during a candid interview with CBS, where they discussed feeling unsupported and misunderstood by the royal institution.

Harry insisted that he did not catch his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, off-guard with the decision, stating that he held her in high regard. The nature of his relationship with his father, King Charles III, is somewhat ambiguous.

Although Harry claimed at the time that his father had ceased answering his calls, there have been instances of reconciliation between Charles and Harry throughout the years, particularly following Queen Elizabeth II's passing in September 2022. In his first speech as king, Charles expressed his affection for Harry and Meghan, while Harry subsequently attended his father's coronation in May 2023.

Scroll down to see where Harry and Meghan stand with the rest of the royal family:

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Where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Stand With Each Member of the Royal Family After Stepping Back

After their surprising decision to step down from their senior royal duties in March 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been keeping their distance from their relatives in the UK.

Almost a year later, in February 2021, Buckingham Palace officially announced that Harry and Meghan would not be resuming their roles as working members of the royal family. And just a month later, they opened up about their frustrations in a candid interview with CBS, expressing their feelings of being unsupported and misunderstood by the royal institution.

Harry denied blindsiding Queen Elizabeth II with his decision, emphasizing his respect for her. However, his relationship with King Charles III is more complicated.

Initially, Harry stated that his calls to his father were ignored. Nevertheless, there have been instances of reconciliation between Charles and Harry, especially following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. During his inaugural speech as king, Charles expressed his affection for Harry and Meghan, and Harry later attended his father's coronation in May 2023.

Scroll down to see where Harry and Meghan stand with the rest of the royal family:

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Queen Elizabeth II

According to a source, the monarch was less than impressed with Harry's controversial statements about his upbringing in the royal family. However, she still holds a soft spot for her grandson. Harry also had a close relationship with the late Philip, who passed away in April 2021. In tribute to his grandfather, Harry described him as the master of the barbecue, a banter legend, and someone who maintained his cheeky nature until the very end. Meghan, on the other hand, spoke highly of the queen during their CBS interview in March 2021. Reflecting on her first interaction with the queen, Meghan praised her, stating that the queen has always been wonderful to her. When their daughter, Lili, was born in June 2021, Elizabeth was overjoyed, according to a source.

While residing in California, the couple has made efforts to maintain communication with Harry's relatives. Prior to Philip's passing, he had a unique way of ending their Zoom calls, as Harry playfully shared in a February interview. In April 2022, Harry and Meghan made a stop in England to visit the queen while en route to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands. It had been a while since the prince had been in the U.K., with his last visit being the unveiling of their mother's statue alongside William in July 2021, while Meghan had not returned since their official departure from royal duties in March 2020.

In June 2022, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the U.K. to commemorate the monarch's 70-year reign during her Platinum Jubilee. Although they did not join the queen on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the Trooping the Colour ceremony, they observed the parade from the Major General’s Office, which provides a view of the grounds.

Sadly, three months after the Platinum Jubilee, the sovereign passed away.

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King Charles III and Queen Camilla

In his ongoing efforts to share his personal journey within the confines of the royal residence, Harry has directed his criticism towards his father's approach to parenting, vowing to forge a different path when it comes to raising his own two children. "I am determined to break that cycle and ensure that I do not perpetuate it," Harry expressed during his appearance on the "Armchair Expert" podcast in May 2021.

A source informed Us that Charles was extremely angry and felt tormented by Harry's continuous jabs. Another insider had previously disclosed that the future king intends to exclude Harry when it is his time to oversee a streamlined monarchy. In August 2022, Meghan expressed in an interview with The Cut that Harry felt like he had lost his father due to his decision to step away from the royal family. She added that their situation doesn't have to mirror hers with her own father, Thomas Markle, but Harry has chosen his path.

Camilla has refrained from commenting on the drama, while expressing her good wishes to Harry and Meghan upon the birth of their daughter, Lili, in June 2021.

In May 2023, Harry attended Charles' coronation, coinciding with Archie's 4th birthday. Meghan chose to stay home with their children, and right after the ceremony, Harry departed England promptly to return to his kids. The royal family did not publicly extend birthday wishes to Archie, unlike their previous annual tradition.

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Prince William and Princess Kate

Prior to Harry and Meghan opting to scale back their senior responsibilities, the bond between the brothers had already been strained — and their departure only exacerbated the tensions. As Harry stated in March 2021, his relationship with William is currently marked by distance. Moreover, Harry voiced his belief that his brother is confined within the confines of the monarchy. Despite their enduring closeness and shared trials, the two siblings find themselves embarking on divergent paths.

Meghan and Kate have both experienced challenges and fluctuations in their relationship since the Sussexes' wedding in May 2018. After three years, Meghan openly addressed the rumors suggesting that she made Kate cry before the wedding, but she clarified that "the reverse happened." However, Meghan acknowledged that Kate was upset about something and took ownership of it by apologizing.

In the background, Kate has been making efforts to reconcile Harry and William's differences. According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, during the trio's reunion at Philip's funeral in April 2021, Kate played the role of a "peacemaker."

William and Harry had a cordial reunion at the unveiling of a statue honoring their late mother, Princess Diana in July 2021. They later reconvened as a group, along with Kate, for the first time since Harry and Meghan's royal exit after the queen's death in September 2022.

At Elizabeth's funeral, Harry appeared cordial with both William and Kate, but the trio did not interact during Charles' coronation in May 2023. This significant event marked Harry's first in-person reunion with many members of the royal family since the publication of his controversial memoir, Spare, where he claimed that William and Kate had treated him and Meghan unkindly on multiple occasions. He also disclosed a physical altercation between him and William.

In October 2023, a source revealed exclusively to Us that "

she has no inclination to engage in communication with Harry or Meghan. Too much has transpired, and she is not yet prepared."

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Princess Anne

In April 2020, following one month after they officially stepped away from senior duties, the queen's daughter offered some words of wisdom to the younger generation of royals. She expressed that the younger generation may not fully comprehend her past actions, as it is common to not always appreciate the achievements of previous generations. Nowadays, there is a greater focus on finding new approaches, while she believes it is important to avoid needlessly reinventing the wheel. She advises that there are lessons to be learned from past experiences and sometimes it is necessary to return to the fundamentals.

One year later, Anne was bumped up on the royal family’s website, seemingly taking Harry and Meghan’s place. At the coronation, Anne smiled while chatting with Harry.

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Peter Phillips

Anne's son, together with Harry and William, stood side by side during the April 2021 funeral procession, grieving the loss of the Duke of Edinburgh. Similar to Harry, Anne's cousin has chosen to retreat from the public eye, refraining from making extensive statements about the ongoing family disputes.

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Zara and Mike Tindall

Harry and Meghan have seemingly maintained a friendly relationship with Anne's daughter and her husband, who got married in 2011. In August 2020, Mike expressed his hopes on Good Morning Britain that his cousin-in-law would find happiness in their life in California. "Knowing that his family matters the most to him, we should support him through that," said the former rugby player, referring to "Megxit."

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Prince Andrew

The Duke of York became entangled in a scandal of his own, choosing to distance himself from his royal obligations in November 2019 amidst speculations regarding his ties to the deceased Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew's titles were officially revoked in January 2022. He has not yet released a significant statement concerning the departure of the couple from the royal family.

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Sarah Ferguson

Andrew's former spouse maintains a friendly relationship with Harry and Meghan. They extended an invitation to the writer for their wedding in 2018, while she was excluded from the Cambridges' ceremony. Following allegations of plagiarism surrounding Meghan's debut children's book, The Bench, the Duchess of York defended her.

In an interview with the Daily Mail in May 2021, Ferguson expressed her support saying, "The act of dedicating oneself to diligently writing a book, regardless of its genre, deserves support and respect. Promoting literacy in all forms, including children's literature, has always been a passion of mine. I commend any woman who embraces her creative side and successfully completes a book."

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Princess Beatrice

Harry and Meghan regretfully couldn't be present at Beatrice's wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020 due to the global health crisis. However, prior to the event, the couple took the time to reach out to Beatrice and convey their well wishes for her special day, according to an insider who spoke to Us.

Speculation arose among devoted fans of the royal family about potential strains in the cousin relationship when Beatrice disclosed her pregnancy in May 2021, coinciding with Harry and Meghan's third wedding anniversary celebration.

During the coronation, Harry was seated alongside Beatrice, Eugenie, and their respective spouses.

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Princess Eugenie

Upon his return to England in April 2021 for Philip's funeral, Harry stayed at Frogmore Cottage, previously the residence of both him and Meghan. The cottage had been lent to Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank. During this period, a reliable source informed Us that Harry was introduced to Eugenie's son, August.

In early 2021, Meghan and Andrew's youngest daughter formed a strong connection due to their overlapping pregnancies. Despite being an unlikely pair, they have stayed in touch and maintained their friendship, according to an insider. Subsequently, Eugenie visited Harry in California in February 2022, and they even attended the Super Bowl together.

Eugenie made a short cameo in the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, which debuted in December 2022. The show featured footage from February of the princess's visit to California, where she joined her cousin to watch the Super Bowl. After having some fun with Harry in a car, she spent time playing with Archie on the beach.

During the coronation, Harry sat alongside Beatrice, Eugenie, and their respective spouses.

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Prince Edward and Sophie

In June 2021, during an interview with The Telegraph, the queen's youngest son and his wife playfully dismissed a query concerning Harry and Meghan's series of bold remarks about the royal family. When asked about the interview, they coyly responded, "What interview?"

Edward expressed his sadness regarding the tension between the Sussexes and the royal family, stating in an interview with CNN in June 2021, "It's very sad. We wish them the best of luck, but it's undoubtedly a difficult decision."