At 96, Queen Elizabeth II is in complete control of her role as the current Monarch.
While she may have a soft spot for her family, she is also known for ruling the nation with an iron fist for now 70 years.
During the Platinum Jubilee celebrations, Queen Elizabeth was delighted to have Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, travel from California with their children and be with her.
However, the Queen is not a fool, and she would not be taken advantage of.
Her Majesty made sure that no unwanted pictures of her were taken during the festivities — she did not make an exception for her great-granddaughter, Lilibet Diana, whom she met for the first time.
The aging Queen also delivered a clear warning to Prince Harry and Markle — they are not part of the future of the Monarchy.
Her Majesty took it a step further by letting Markle and Prince Harry know that if they do not make efforts, they will be completely free or cut off when she passes the throne to Prince Charles.
Queen Elizabeth made her sentiments known with her deliberate plans for the church service in her honor.
Due to health issues, the sovereign was not able to attend the Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s Cathedral, but she worked with her aides to create the seating plan.
According to a royal expert, the Queen chose her seating plan purposefully for the service in a nod towards the future that does not include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Photos from the church service showed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seated on the opposite side of St Paul’s Cathedral from Prince William, Kate Middleton, Prince Charles, and Camilla Parker Bowles.
If the Queen did attend the service, she would have been sitting with Prince Charles and Prince William.
There was zero eye contact or communication between Prince Harry and his royal relatives.
Royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward wrote in The Sun that the Queen is being forced to let Prince Harry and Markle down with some of her decisions as she gets ready to give up the throne.
The author wrote: “The Queen hates letting people down. It has been one of the strengths of her long reign. Now she is being forced to do so. It must be both frustrating and upsetting. She doesn’t think of herself as old. As far as she is concerned, she is 96 years young.”
The royal pundit went on to explain how the Queen has been shaping the future of the Monarchy sans Prince Harry and Markle, who stepped down from their royal duties in 2020.
She continued: “But she knows she has to begin to pass her duties on, and she has been giving us clues about the future. Her Platinum Jubilee photo, showing her sitting in the Victoria Vestibule at Windsor Castle overlooking the statue of King Charles II, was symbolic — hinting King Charles III will soon be with us.”
She added: “So was Thursday’s balcony appearance with her son and heir and his son and his heirs — the present, the future, and the hope for what is to come. But the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are clearly not part of the plan.”
The veteran royal expert said Queen Elizabeth warned Prince Harry and Markle if they do not change, they will get their wish of being free from the royal family when Charles becomes king.
However, the price of their freedom might come at a hefty financial cost for them.
Seward shared: “At yesterday’s service, they sat on the opposite side of the cathedral from Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate. The Queen does not enjoy her family being at loggerheads, though neither does she enjoy being taken advantage of. When she eventually passes on her role to Prince Charles, she knows that, unless things change radically, Harry will have his wish to be free.”
The power couple might have made the wrong bet, some observers say.
