Queen Elizabeth II 'liked' Meghan Markle but feared Prince Harry 'over-in-love' with her: author

Queen Elizabeth II did everything she could to make Meghan Markle feel welcome and comfortable in the royal family because she liked her, according to a royal author.

Biographer Gyles Brandreth wrote in his new book "Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait" that the late monarch was "delighted" with Prince Harry's choice of wife. She reportedly "had high hopes for the contribution she could make to public life."

The author, a former MP who has ties to the royal family dating from the 1970s when he befriended Prince Philip at a charity event, wrote that Her Majesty liked Meghan Markle and did "everything to make her feel welcome." She even told her that she can continue her acting career saying, as quoted by the Daily Mail, "You can carry on being an actress if you like – that's your profession, after all."

Brandreth said that Queen Elizabeth II was delighted when the former "Suits" star said she would quit and focus on her royal duties. But Her Majesty allegedly became "concerned" when her offer for Sophie Wessex to "show her the ropes" was rejected by Meghan.

Aside from Meghan Markle, the author claimed that the late Queen also "liked" Meghan Markle's mother Doria Ragland, and was sorry that the Markle family was "fractured."

However, the former British monarch thought that Prince Harry was "perhaps a little over-in-love" with his wife. He wrote, "This was as far as she came – to my knowledge at least – to ever uttering a word against the new Duchess of Sussex."

She was reportedly also not put off by the couple's interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. While Prince Philip called it "madness," she dismissed it as "television nonsense." She also reminded Prince Andrew of a similar interview his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, did with the same talk show host.

Instead, Brandreth wrote that Queen Elizabeth II "was always more concerned for Harry's well-being." She "was anxious that Harry should 'find his feet' in California and 'find really useful things to do.'"

Meghan Markle opened up about Queen Elizabeth II in the Oprah interview and said the monarch had always been kind to her and welcoming. Her Majesty died on Sept. 8 at the age of 96.