“Deserted the ship” was the blunt verdict Queen Elizabeth reportedly gave on Prince Harry’s decision to leave royal duties and move to the United States. According to royal historian Hugo Vickers, the remark was made when Harry and Meghan Markle announced they would step down as senior royals and relocate to America with their young son, Prince Archie.

The Queen reportedly thought her grandson “could have done more” and believed Harry was “doing a good job before he left”. Vickers, who authored the book Queen Elizabeth II: A Personal History, said he can “never forgive” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the “stress” they caused the late Queen, Sky News reports.

Speaking on the Palace Confidential podcast, he said: “Well, I do remember what the queen said at one point was, you know, one I’m not sure she’s use these exact words, but basically, you know, sort of, ‘One minute he’s captain general of the Royal Marines and the next minute he’s just a childminder’.”

In another bombshell claim, featured in Vickers’ new book, the historian claimed the monarch asked Harry not to rush into marriage with Meghan amid concerns about her behaviour.

“The Queen herself suggested that Harry should wait a year,” Vickers wrote.

While initially, the Queen was a fan of Meghan, describing her when the couple first started dating as a “breath of fresh air”, royal experts have reported the late monarch had private reservations about the union and made those feelings clear.

Vickers continued: “He did not take her advice. Instead, as we know, the wedding went ahead just over six months after the couple’s engagement.”

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, stepped back from royal duties in January 2020 before relocating to California.

Harry is expected to return to Britain in July for a series of engagements and is said to be keen to reunite with King Charles III, though it remains unclear whether his wife and children will accompany him.