The late Queen Elizabeth II is said to have been left feeling “uncomfortable” over certain elements of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding day in 2018 – as well as by a sweet gesture to the bride from the now-King Charles.

A new book by Ingrid Seward, titled ‘My Mother and I’, has revealed that the late Queen was “not comfortable” with the thought of the then-Prince Charles standing in for the bride’s father, Thomas Markle.

Upon news that Thomas was unable to make the wedding, it was revealed that Charles was delighted at the prospect of walking his new daughter-in-law down the aisle.

According to the book, the late Queen was also concerned about her beloved husband Prince Philip, who was then aged 96, “walking down the aisle without a stick”. The late royal had undergone a hip replacement “only five weeks before” the wedding in May 2018.

Speaking in the documentary, ‘Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70’, Harry recalled asking his father if he would do the honour of walking his bride-to-be down the aisle.

The Duke, 40, said: “I asked him to and I think he knew it was coming and he immediately said, ‘Yes, of course, I’ll do whatever Meghan needs and I’m here to support you’.”

It was also revealed Meghan had left the King surprised with one major request after Harry’s question.

Writing in Queen of Our Times, author Robert Hardman says: “The reply, according to one friend, was not quite what he was expecting: “Can we meet halfway?’

“Here was an indicator that this was no blushing bride, but a confident, independent woman determined to make a grand entrance on her own.”

Less than two years after tying the knot, Meghan and Harry announced their plans to step back from royal duties in January 2020. The couple then moved to begin a new life in the US with their son Archie. The pair welcomed their daughter Lilibet the following June.