Why Didn’t Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Visit Queen Elizabeth II When She Died?
Both Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton stayed behind Thursday (Sept. 8) when their respective royal husbands — Prince Harry and Prince William — went to say their final goodbyes to their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
The U.K.'s longest-reigning monarch passed away at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle Thursday, just months after she celebrated her historic Platinum Jubilee.
In the hours before her death, Queen Elizabeth II's family rushed from all over the world to be at her side. However, a few members of the royal family were absent.
Below, find out why Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton didn't travel to Scotland's Balmoral Castle to visit the late queen on her deathbed.
Why Didn't Meghan Markle Go With Prince Harry to the Queen When She Died?
Previously, it was announced that both Meghan and Harry would be traveling to Balmoral Castle to see the queen together. It was later revealed she would no longer be accompanying Harry to visit Queen Elizabeth II due to an unspecified “change of plans," per a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
However, it's speculated that Meghan stayed behind due to the tension between Meghan, Harry and the rest of the royal family.
"She might not be terribly warmly welcomed, to be perfectly candid about it," BBC royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell speculated during an evening news broadcast, according to the New York Post.
Meghan most recently saw Queen Elizabeth II during the late monarch's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June, when the queen first met Meghan and Harry's 1-year-old daughter, Lilibet.
When news of the queen's ailing health first broke, both Meghan and Harry were in London for charity work. The couple currently reside in California.
Why Didn't Kate Middleton Go With Prince William to the Queen When She Died?
It's believed Kate did not accompany William to visit the queen because it was their children's — Prince George, 9; Princess Charlotte, 7; and Prince Louis, 4 — first day of school, People reports.
Queen Elizabeth II and Kate recently spent time together when Kate, William and their children went to visit her at Balmoral Castle, the queen's holiday estate, over the summer.
Who Was Present When Queen Elizabeth II Died?
According to People, the family members who were at Queen Elizabeth II's side when she died were her children King Charles (formerly Prince Charles) and Princess Anne, who was already in Scotland due to previously scheduled events. It's believed King Charles' wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, was also present as she was likely with the king at the time.
Other family members who rushed to Balmoral Castle the day the queen died included her sons Prince Andrew and Prince Edward; Prince Edward's wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex; as well as the queen's grandsons, Prince William and Prince Harry.