Meghan Markle and Harry's 'dangerous step too far' caused Queen to 'finally hit back'

The Queen and Prince Harry have always had a very special relationship, and the Monarch is extremely fond and proud of her grandson.

She was delighted when he met Meghan Markle and began married life, and reportedly even stepped in to offer help and advice during some of the more difficult moments.

But according to a new book, there was one moment that deeply upset the Queen and was a "step too far" from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

In his latest biography Battle of Brothers, royal author Robert Lacey claims Meghan and Harry's decision to market merchandise under their own royal trademark - Sussex Royal - without discussing it with the Queen and taking legal action against a number of media organisations without her permission caused the "family to finally hit back".

The couple reportedly spent thousands of pounds trademarking a range of products including T-shirts to bandanas and literature.

While royals selling products isn't new - the Queen sells souvenirs at Buckingham Palace and Prince Charles has a range of products including biscuits and jam in his Duchy Originals range - the issue came as Meghan and Harry didn't consult the Monarch first.

Lacey writes: "Once again Harry had totally failed to consult the Queen about a major initiative affecting his royal work and image — and the image of the crown as a whole. The family finally hit back.

"Elizabeth II had always had a soft spot for Harry, and she had been delighted by the arrival of Meghan, whose personal energies seemed to complement her grandson’s so well.

"As Head of the Commonwealth and reigning over an ever more multicultural society in Britain, the Queen had especially welcomed the exciting new dimension that a mixed-race recruit brought to the Windsor identity — and as we shall see later in this series, she herself had spotted when things were going wrong, and had helped devise a strategy she firmly hoped would make things easier for the couple.

"But there were some matters on which Elizabeth II would not compromise — and chief among them was the authority of the crown. By not disclosing their plans to market merchandise under their own royal trademark, Harry and Meghan had trespassed dangerously on that authority. To commercialise the crown required the crown’s consent — and the Sussexes had not sought that."

He claims that their failure to get her permission for their lawsuits "took their rebellion one step too far."

As part of their Megxit negotiations, the Queen banned Meghan and Harry from using the brand 'Sussex Royal', which they were reportedly extremely annoyed about.