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Britain’s royal family has long stuck to a “never complain, never explain” policy as they rarely respond to anything written or said about them publicly. However, one of the times they absolutely had to respond was following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey. According to a royal author, palace staffers wanted Queen Elizabeth II to respond right away but she didn’t agree so she put her foot down and refused to.

Here’s more on how the late monarch reminded everyone she was the boss.

Queen Elizabeth II prepares to greet Kazakhstan's Nursultan Nazarbayev at Buckingham Palace
Queen Elizabeth II prepares to greet Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nazarbayev at Buckingham Palace | Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images

Prince Harry told Oprah there are many people who advised the queen

During the Sussexes’ sit down with Oprah, Harry mentioned that he had a difficult relationship with some of his grandmother’s aides. The prince explained that he was supposed to meet with her in person to discuss his plans to step back as a working royal but he was informed that the queen had to cancel their meeting because of a clash in her diary.

Oprah asked if the late sovereign was allowed to do what she wanted to which Harry replied: “No. When you’re head of the Firm there are people around you that give you advice, and what has also made me really sad is that some of that advice has been really bad.” 

Oprah Winfrey Interviewing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for primetime special
Oprah Winfrey Interviewing Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for primetime special | Harpo Productions, Joe Pugliese via Getty Images

Author says Queen Elizabeth refused to respond the very next day

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not paint the royals in a good light during their interview. Meghan claimed the Princess of Wales (formerly known as Kate Middleton) made her cry and Harry said King Charles III stopped taking his calls before cutting him off financially. Moreover, the couple alleged that one family member, who they would not name, made a comment about their son Archie’s skin color before he was born.

If Meghan and Harry didn’t think a response was coming from the Palace they were mistaken. But it didn’t come immediately like the queen’s aides wanted. According to royal reporter Valentine Low, who authored the book Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind The Crown, by 2 p.m. the day after the Sussexes’ primetime special with the former talk show host aired in the U.S. communications secretaries crafted a four-sentence-long statement to release.

“And then, precisely nothing happened,” Low wrote in his book (per Express). “The Palace stayed completely silent because the queen decided that she wanted to sleep on it. She was not going to be rushed into saying anything precipitate. It was a reminder that, while courtiers might do all the groundwork, the final decisions are made by the royal family. At the age of 94, the queen was very much still in charge.”

Queen Elizabeth II attends a service for the Order of the British Empire at St Paul's Cathedral
Queen Elizabeth II attends a service for the Order of the British Empire at St Paul’s Cathedral | Geoff Pugh – WPA Pool /Getty Images
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The palace did finally put out the 61-word statement

After “sleeping on it,” Queen Elizabeth did finally agree to release the response to the Sussexes’ allegations. The 61-word statement came nearly 48 hours after the interview first aired. It read:

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved family members.”

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