Queen Elizabeth II prioritised monarchy when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle rebelled

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's exit from royal life was one of the most problematic controversies for Buckingham Palace, and placed Queen Elizabeth II in a dilemma about choosing family or duty. According to a new book, the monarch dealt with the situation by prioritising the monarchy over her grandson and granddaughter-in-law.

In his new book, "The Queen," royal expert Matthew Dennison recalled the days following Harry and Meghan's announcement in January last year, saying that they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family and moving to North America. The author said that the Queen was "hurt and disappointed" after her grandson's explosive statement, but made up her mind about the situation quickly, deciding that he and Meghan would no longer be able to use their "royal highness" titles.

An excerpt of the book published by Us Weekly reads, "Elizabeth's official statement expressed loving finality: 'It is my whole family's hope that today's agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.' It was an attempt to reassert control in the interests of damage limitation, and a decisive but dark beginning to a new decade."

"Elizabeth had never been a sentimental woman; she had acted in the only way she understood," the author added in the book which is set to be released on September 1.

"As throughout a life in which she had consistently honoured her father's belief that 'the highest of distinctions is the service of others', she had placed the monarchy first, safeguarding its mission of service and duty that could never, she was certain, be a part-time calling," Dennison explained.

The monarch noted in her response to Harry and Meghan's announcement that they will remain "much-loved members" of the royal family, but remained firm that they will no longer have a role in the monarchy. The 95-year-old prohibited them from using their HRH titles, their Sussex Royal foundation, and stripped them of their remaining royal patronages and titles upon a one-year review of their exit.

Soon after the one-year review, Harry and Meghan appeared in an explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, making a number of serious allegations against Buckingham Palace and royal family members. A source told the outlet at the time that the Queen, who had already been dealing with the hospitalisation of her husband who passed away a few weeks later, was in "constant crisis meetings" since the interview aired.

"She has barely had any time to herself since the interview. The queen has always had a soft spot for Harry and looked out for him, so [she] is incredibly hurt and shocked that it has come to this," a source said.