Prince Harry and Meghan Markle probably had the approval they needed when they filmed inside Queen Elizabeth's Wendy house for their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, according to a new report. Apparently, all they needed was a go signal from Princess Beatrice.
Princess Beatrice Reportedly Allows Prince Harry And Meghan Markle To Film Inside Queen Elizabeth's Wendy House
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex raised eyebrows in one episode of their documentary when they filmed their daughter Lilibet's birthday at the Queen's playhouse. However, Princess Beatrice reportedly permitted the royal couple to film inside the playhouse, Express reported.
So why does Princess Beatrice have to approve the Sussexes?
The cottage named Y Bwthyn Bach, or "The Little Cottage", was a gift to Queen Elizabeth II when she was 6, for the people of Wales. It was close to Royal Lodge within Windsor Great Park.
The outlet noted that it was intended as a symbol of the love of the Welsh people for the princess, who, at the time, they never expected would become Queen someday. The playhouse was designed by architect Edmund Willmott.
In 2010, the Queen gifted the cottage to her granddaughter Princess Beatrice. So, the custodianship fell to Prince Andrew's eldest daughter and Princess Eugenie's sister — Princess Beatrice.
The 34-year-old royal, who is now a mom to 1-year-old daughter Sienna, oversaw a year-long renovation of the cottage, according to the report.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Accused Of Betraying The Queen For Filming In The Cottage
The Sussexes were in London for their daughter Lilibet's first birthday. An episode of Harry & Meghan featured them filming in the Queen's cottage — which reportedly was already given to Princess Beatrice. Royal expert Kylie Walters noticed the photo of them drinking tea inside the Welsh cottage. She speculated that the Sussexes betrayed the Queen for filming on the property.
"It's likely that the Queen gave them permission to use the playhouse for the milestone occasion, and the snap is from that day. It is the perfect venue to host a child's party and the Queen would want to share her special place with Archie and Lili, who are rarely in the UK," Walters told New Idea.
“While Meghan and Harry would have used the property with the Queen’s blessing, it would have been understood that this was a private event and it wouldn’t have expected that the Sussexes would use the day for profit.”
She noted that under the royal protocol, Prince Harry and Markle needed permission to film and take photos in Windsor Castle and on the private grounds of Windsor Great Park, and she felt that they didn't have permission to film there for Netflix.
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"Earlier in the trip, the Queen had put a stop to the couple taking professional images of her meeting their daughter for the first time, after reports surfaced that they hoped to use it in their Netflix series. The expectation would be that the pair would only share images from the party they had taken among close friends and family members. The Queen was the boss of The Firm and her word was law. Releasing the snap is a slap in the face to her generous gesture,” Kylie added.
"The image was shared with the public when Harry and Meghan opened up their private photo albums as part of their docuseries with Netflix. Given that the Royal Family deny they were given ample opportunity to respond to the series, it seems unlikely that the Sussexes would have asked for permission to share the photo either."
Stay tuned for more news and updates about Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
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