Queen Elizabeth II was very much affected that three out of her four children got divorced. Even if Prince William's grandmother remained still about the issue, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne's divorces upset her.
Queen Elizabeth Upset Over Her Children's Divorces
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip had a successful marriage. They were together for over seven decades before the Duke of Edinburgh passed away last year. However, three of their children, — Prince Charles, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew — divorced their first spouses. The collapse of their marriages wasn't easy to bear for the monarch.
"Outwardly stoical, as ever, the Queen was finding the divorce talks deeply upsetting," Robert Hardman wrote in his new book Queen of Our Times: The Life of Queen Elizabeth II, in an excerpt obtained by People. "Another former member of the Household recalls that every now and then, there would be a glimpse of her despair."
"It distressed her much more than she let on," a former staffer told the author.
Hardman also shared his personal encounter with Her Majesty when she tried to comfort her about the issue. The royal biographer told the Queen that divorce is nothing new and many marriages end that way. However, the Queen remains upset about the issue.
"I said, 'Ma'am, it seems to be happening everywhere. This is almost common practice,'" Hardman shared in the book. "But she just said, 'Three out of four!' in sheer sadness and exasperation. One shouldn't underestimate the pain she's been through."
Queen Elizabeth Warns Prince William, Prince Harry Against Divorce
While the Queen approved of Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Princess Anne's divorce, she allegedly warned her grandsons Prince William and Prince Harry in advance that she would not allow any divorces in the future.
"The Queen is the head of the Church and so from a point of principle she is opposed to royal divorces," a Buckingham Palace told Express. "However, she has witnessed the divorces not just of her sister Princess Margaret, but also those of her three eldest children. She now feels, to put it bluntly, that enough is enough."
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Some sources claimed it was the reason Prince William took his time in choosing his wife. It took him over five years before he proposed to Kate Middleton. Meanwhile, many are concerned about Prince Harry's marriage to Meghan Markle. Some predicted that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will get a divorce in the future. However, the royal couple appears very much in love with each other three years after tying the knot.
The Queen reportedly doesn't want further royal divorces during her reign. However, in February 2020, her grandson Peter Philips and his wife Autumn Philips announced their separation. They finalized their divorce in June 2021, Town & Country reported.
Stay tuned for more news and updates about the royal family.
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