Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Declined Queen Elizabeth's Balmoral Invitation Twice: Book

Queen Elizabeth invited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Balmoral twice, but they declined, according to a new book.

Vanity Fair royal editor Katie Nicholl talked about Prince Harry and Markle's exit from the firm and its lasting impact in her new book "The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown." According to her, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex received invitations from the Queen to join her in Balmoral twice, but they rejected them.

Queen Elizabeth first invited Prince Harry and Markle to Balmoral in the summer of 2019 to spend a long weekend with her. The couple was allegedly keeping their distance from the royals before officially announcing their exit at the time.

"The queen traditionally hosted a big gathering for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren," Nicholl told Fox News Digital. "It was always a weekend that she looked forward to. And on this occasion, the Sussexes didn't go. I was told that it wouldn't have fit their narrative at that point. The narrative was very much 'this is us against them.' There was that sense of separation. And perhaps turning up and playing happy families wouldn't have fit into that narrative."

Nicholl added that Prince Harry and Markle took their son, Archie, to Ibiza and the South of France, which "raised eyebrows." However, reports claimed the getaway coincided with Markle's birthday, Aug. 4.

At the time, Markle allegedly got frustrated with the palace's lack of support amid the online trolling that intensified after she married Prince Harry. They were reportedly exhausted by the media's scrutiny, which they found "both overt and covert." They also reportedly felt their life in the United Kingdom had become "unbearable."

The couple reportedly received another invitation this year. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex turned down the Queen for the second time.

"I think what's almost more poignant than that summer of 2019 was this summer when the queen also extended an invitation to Harry and Meghan and the children to come and spend some time with her at the end of that summer," Nicholl claimed. "And they weren't able to go. I would imagine that might well be a source of regret for Prince Harry."

In July, unnamed insiders told Page Six that Prince Harry and Markle were not included in the Queen's summer guest list. The news came after a report from The Sun claimed that the late British monarch extended an olive branch to Prince Harry and Markle by inviting them to Balmoral.

However, the royal couple reportedly chose to stay in the United States ahead of the publication of his highly anticipated memoir, which was expected to be released in November but has been pushed back to sometime later next year.

"The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown" is already out.