Palace sources have revealed new details about the life of the Duchess of Sussex under the monarchy.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle named their daughter Lilibet after her paternal great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. However, many fans still wonder what the late queen really thought of Meghan Markle. There is no doubt that the queen warmly welcomed Meghan into the royal family. The first clear evidence of this came shortly before Meghan and Harry exchanged vows at St. George’s Chapel in 2018. While other women who married members of the Windsor family (such as Kate Middleton) had to wait until their wedding to receive an invitation to Christmas at Sandringham, Meghan was allowed to join Harry in 2017—five months before their wedding day. Experts believe this was a personal gesture of approval from the queen.

In the queen’s Christmas address that year, she also mentioned “new members” of the family, which many interpreted as another subtle indication of Meghan’s acceptance into the family. The Californian actress clearly felt at home at the royal residence in Norfolk, as she later described in her Netflix series *Harry & Meghan*.

“I vividly remember the first Christmas at Sandringham when my mom called and asked, ‘How’s it going?’ and I replied, ‘Oh my God, it’s amazing.’ I was in this big family, just like I always wanted. And there was constant movement, energy, and fun.”

Court insiders said the queen believed Meghan would bring a breath of fresh air to the monarchy. Queen Elizabeth II also expedited her entry into the royal family by inviting Meghan to join her for a Commonwealth Day service—her first official engagement with the queen, two months before her wedding to Harry. In this way, Her Majesty gave a hint that she wanted Meghan to be immediately regarded as part of the family.

However, as the couple prepared for their wedding, the queen began to worry about Meghan’s behavior. Firstly, it was reported that she was surprised when Markle declined her suggestion that Sophie, the wife of Prince Edward, offer advice on joining the royal family. But more serious concerns arose when Meghan did not get along with the royal dressmaker, Angela Kelly. Nevertheless, the queen bestowed upon her the title of Duchess of Sussex and invited Meghan to accompany her on a personal visit to Chester just weeks after the wedding.

“The queen, for example, always treated me wonderfully,” Meghan said in her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

It is also worth noting that Queen Elizabeth II appointed Meghan as royal patron of the National Theatre and gave her several important roles within the Commonwealth. Meghan was named vice-president of the *Queen’s Commonwealth Trust* in 2018.