It has been suggested by a royal expert that Meghan Markle was not invited to join the Royal Family when Queen Elizabeth II became gravely ill in the hours before she passed away on Thursday.
Markle was noticeably not with her husband, Prince Harry, as he headed to Balmoral Castle, to be by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II's side on the day she died, Thursday, September 8.
Per royal expert Katie Nicholl, the 41-year-old former Suits actress was not invited to join her 37-year-old spouse at Queen Elizabeth's Scottish estate.
“It's understood that the family wanted Prince Harry to be there, even though he was unable to get to Balmoral in time to see his grandmother,” Nicholl told ET.
“But Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, was not, we understand, invited to join the family," Nicholl added. "She has said she will go to Balmoral another time. But I think it is quite significant that Prince Harry traveled to Balmoral on his own without his wife.”
Harry and Meghan had been slated to attend the WellChild Awards in London. But when they were informed that Queen Elizabeth II's health had seen a sharp decline, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were forced to cancel their appearance, and the duke flew solo from London to Scotland.
The prince's plane landed not long after news emerged that the Queen had died. The duke was seen arriving at Balmoral in a black SUV, with his hand covering his face.
Kate Middleton was also absent, having been spotted in Windsor, picking up her children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, from school. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Cornwall were seen on Wednesday at a school event with their kids.
Nicholl went on to tell ET: "I think the pictures that we saw of family members arriving at Balmoral really said it all. This is a family in mourning now, and of course, the queen was a mother, a grandmother and a great-grandmother."
The new king, Charles III, has since released a statement regarding his mother's passing
"The death of my beloved Mother, Her Majesty The Queen, is a moment of the greatest sadness for me and all members of my family.
"We mourn profoundly the passing of a cherished sovereign and a much-loved mother.
"I know her loss will be deeply felt throughout the country, the Realms and the Commonwealth and by countless people around the world.
"During this period of mourning and change, my family and I will be comforted and sustained by our knowledge of the respect and deep affection in which the Queen was so widely held."