Meghan Markle Says She Reached Out to Queen Elizabeth Following Prince Philip's Hospitalization

Meghan Markle‘s is speaking out about her relationship with Queen Elizabeth in her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The 39-year-old Duchess revealed that Queen Elizabeth was one of the first people she was introduced to from Prince Harry‘s family and that she learned how to curtsy in the car right before meeting her.

Meghan also said that while she’s had challenges with certain members of the royal family, Queen Elizabeth has always been extremely kind to her.

“The Queen, for example, has always been wonderful to me,” Meghan said. “I mean, we had one of our first joint engagements together. She asked me to join her, and I went on the train. And we had breakfast together that morning and she gave me a beautiful gift and I just really loved being in her company, and I know we were in the car—Yeah, she gave me some beautiful pearl earrings and a matching necklace—and we were in the car going between engagements. And she has a blanket that sits across her, her knees, for warmth and it was chilly and she was like, Meghan, come on, and put it over my knees as well.”

Towards the end of the interview, Meghan shared that she had reached out to the Queen after her husband Prince Philip was hospitalized in mid-February.

“I just picked up the phone, and I called The Queen just to check in,” she said. “That’s what we do. It’s like being able to default to not having to every moment go, ‘Is that appropriate?’”

Harry added that his relationship with his grandmother was still strong even after he and his wife announced they would be stepping away from their senior roles as royals.

“My grandmother and I have a really good relationship, and an understanding. And I have a deep respect for her. She’s my colonel in chief, right? She always will be,” Harry said.