Queen Elizabeth’s Biggest Fear She Had Before Her Death Is Truly Heartbreaking

The late Queen Elizabeth II was a proud mother of four, grandmother of eight, and great-grandmother of 13. She was fortunate enough to see most of her grandchildren grow into adulthood, most notably William, Prince of Wales, and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Through official events and family gatherings at Balmoral and other royal residences, the queen was able to make fond memories with her extended family, including Prince George, now second in line to the throne. However, this wasn’t the case with two of her youngest great-grandchildren. 

Harry and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from the royal family and their palace roles in January 2020, just months after their son, Archie, was born. The Sussexes’ move to California further distanced them physically and emotionally from the rest of The Firm. And, as a source told Us Weekly at the time, “The queen’s worst fear is that she may never see Archie again.” They added that the queen was devastated about the possibility of not being able to bond with the young prince-to-be. Sadly, her fears largely came true. 

Between the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic and Harry’s accusations against the family, Hello! magazine reports that the queen only ever saw Archie in person twice before her death, and his little sister, Lilibet, just once. Her thirteenth great-grandchild was born after her death; Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank, welcomed their second son, Ernest, in June 2023.