KEY POINTS

  • Royal author Matthew Dennison discussed Queen Elizabeth's relationships with Princess Diana and Meghan Markle in his book
  • He claimed the Queen "doesn’t talk about her own feelings" and also "doesn’t encourage others" to do so
  • Diana and Markle may have been left feeling unable to connect with the Queen, the biographer suggested

Meghan Markle and Princess Diana had both sought something from Queen Elizabeth II that "they didn't get," a new biography has claimed.

In his new book "The Queen: An Elegant New Biography of Her Majesty Elizabeth II," royal author Matthew Dennison offered fresh insights into the monarch's seven decades on the throne, including her relationships with the late Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex. Both Markle and Princess Diana had struggled with adjusting to life as a royal after marrying into the royal family.

Dennison suggested that both royals were more open to speaking up about their difficulties than the Queen, whom the royal expert claimed "doesn't talk about her own feelings and she doesn't encourage others to talk about their feelings either," according to excerpts published by The Mirror.

The biographer suggested this may have left Princess Diana and Markle feeling unable to connect with the Queen.

"Diana had meeting after meeting with the Queen, who ultimately felt it was the same conversation happening over and over again. Diana never forgot who her mother-in-law was and that provided a barrier that was not of the Queen’s making," Dennison wrote.

He continued, "I don’t know if Meghan was overawed in that sense because Meghan was a grown woman with experience of life when she joined the royal family whereas Diana was a young girl. But I think both women wanted something from the Queen that they didn’t get."

In the book, Dennison also touched on the speculation that Queen Elizabeth, who turned 95 on April 21, may abdicate in the future. According to the author of "Queen Victoria: A Life of Contradictions," it is unlikely that the monarch will give up the throne unless the reason is very serious.

"The Queen told her cousin Margaret Rhodes that she wouldn’t abdicate unless she had Alzheimer’s or a stroke. That was clearly a true statement then and I think it’s probably true now," he wrote.

"She’s always been consistent. There are family issues at the moment but most of her family are fully supporting her. While this continues to be true and her health remains good, she will go on. If the senior advisers all said, ‘Ma’am, I wonder…’ she might listen, but she doesn’t regard monarchy as a job, rather as something more special," he continued.

Dennison's "The Queen" is published by Head of Zeus, and the hardcover will be available on Sept. 1.

Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan Markle
Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II and Meghan Markle watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018 in London, England. Getty Images/Chris Jackson