Historian and biographer Hugo Vickers made the startling comments while appearing on The Sun’s hugely popular Royal Exclusive show.

Hugo was talking to the paper’s royal editor Matt Wilkinson about the latest events in the royal household.

When asked what did he think had been the biggest crisis in the Royal Family over the past 50 years, Hugo initially pointed to the death of Diana.

Hugo said: “Well, 50 years doesn’t take in the abdication, so I suppose the death of Diana in 1997 was the big crisis point.

“But, at the risk of being controversial, will the arrival of Meghan Markle prove to be a bigger one in the long run? Who knows.”

Picking up on the theme, Matt agreed adding the time between the arrival of the Duchess of Sussex, 

everything changing and Meghan and Harry leaving to start a new life in California was a “huge crisis in the Royal Family”.

Hugo said: “I think it’s quite interesting all that because I was in Windsor the day they got married and the popularity and good will towards them was enormous.

“I don’t think it was the press, she succeeded in evading that very, very quickly.

“What I find unforgivable, is the stress she put on the late Queen in the last couple of years of her life.”

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced they were quitting royal duties to live in America it sparked a crisis within the family.

At a hastily convened summit at Sandringham in January 2020 the Queen’s decision was swift and final; the Sussexes can leave the family business but not have the trappings that come with being royal.

The wantaway couple were told there was no “half-in, half-out” role and that they could not have their cake and eat it as they were wished good luck in their new life.

In her statement the Queen thanked them for their “dedicated” work saying she was “particularly proud of Meghan”.

She added: “It is my whole family’s hope that today’s agreement allows them to start building a happy and peaceful new life.”

This new beginning was anything but peaceful for the Queen. Because although the couple had quit royal service, they remained in the family.

As one palace insider put it: “They might no longer be working members of the Royal Family but they are not in exile.”

So in her mid-90s — forced to isolate in Windsor Castle as Covid-19 raged — the Queen was asked to step up and deal with this cross-Atlantic family crisis, again and again and again.

Throughout the pandemic there was the overriding national feeling that Harry and Meghan would be best served in the UK by supporting the Royal Family rather than firing increasingly bitter pot-shots from across the pond.

When the one-year review came round, The Queen acted as both head of state and head of the family when the couple said they would not return.

Meghan was stripped of her patronages. Harry’s honorary military titles were formally removed.

They were relieved as President and Vice-President of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust after claiming the former Empire “must right the wrongs” of the past.

In her final Megxit statement the Queen explained: “Following conversations with the Duke, the Queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the Royal Family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service.

“While we are all saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much-loved members of the family.”

The Duke of Sussex responded to the final Megxit deal — struck with Prince Philip in hospital — with an incendiary retort.

Their spokesman said: “As evidenced by their work over the past year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organisations they have represented regardless of official role.

“We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”

Harry had initiated the review two months early because the couple wanted to tell “their truth” to Oprah Winfrey. The “tell-all” chat which aired days after the swapping of Megxit statements sent shockwaves around the world.

The couple alleged there was a racist in the Royal Family and claimed Meghan’s mental health concerns were ignored.

Astonishingly, the Queen was not told about what was planned, as palace insiders revealed “as non-working members of the Royal Family they are under no obligation to inform the Royal Household of such plans”.

Faced with an onslaught of accusations, many later proven to be untrue, the Queen waited more than 38 hours to respond publicly. She ordered a private family-led probe into the claims but tellingly, issued these words: “Some recollections may vary”.

She kept it civil by saying the Sussexes remain “much-loved family members”.

A source close to the Queen said: “She is not angry, she is just sad. They have always worried about him and the Queen feels very protective about him (Harry).”

Just a few years earlier the Queen had welcomed divorcee Meghan into the fold and issued an Instrument of Consent for their May 2018 wedding saying she was “delighted for the couple”

She gifted Meghan a set of pearl earrings and a necklace for her engagement and presented Frogmore Cottage to the couple.

The pair shared a tender moment when the Queen placed a blanket on Meghan’s knees on their first joint-engagement together in Cheshire. Meghan later told Oprah: “The Queen has always been wonderful to me.”

An insider said: “She was understanding that Harry and Meghan wanted out but it could not come at the detriment of the whole family.”

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Source: USA Today