Long before the public interviews, documentaries and accusations that came to define the Sussex saga, there was a quieter controversy — one that, years later, continues to resurface in royal discussions.
According to past reports, Meghan Markle was said to be deeply disappointed that her mother, Doria Ragland, did not receive a royal title after Meghan married into the British Royal Family.
While the claim first emerged some time ago, it is now being revisited by royal commentators as another example of the cultural and personal clashes that marked Meghan’s time within the monarchy.
Claims that never fully disappeared
At the time, National Enquirer reported that Meghan felt sidelined by the Palace’s refusal to grant her mother any form of aristocratic recognition.
According to the publication, Meghan would have welcomed the Queen elevating Doria Ragland to the rank of Countess — a move that, if true, would have broken with centuries of royal convention.
An unnamed insider was quoted as saying Meghan explored various ways to enhance her mother’s standing within royal circles, driven by a belief that Doria should not be treated as secondary or excluded.
The same report even suggested Meghan had considered whether a title could be obtained through unconventional means — a claim never substantiated, but one that nonetheless caused outrage among royal traditionalists.
The Queen’s reported response
According to those accounts, Queen Elizabeth II was said to be firm and unequivocal.
Royal protocol, tradition and precedent were not negotiable — and the idea of granting a title to a royal in-law’s parent was reportedly dismissed outright.
The Queen, sources claimed, had no intention of allowing what she viewed as entitlement to override the structure of the monarchy.
Whether exaggerated or not, the story quickly became symbolic of a deeper tension: Meghan’s perceived desire to reshape royal customs — and the Palace’s refusal to bend.
A relationship strained by expectation
Royal observers now argue that this episode, whether fully accurate or not, reflected a broader mismatch of expectations.
Meghan, raised outside the aristocratic system, appeared to view royal status as something that could be extended or adapted to reflect personal relationships.
The Royal Family, by contrast, operates on rigid lines of hierarchy, lineage and restraint — where titles are inherited, not requested.
That fundamental difference would later play out in far more public ways.
Doria’s growing presence — and quiet influence
In the years that followed, Doria Ragland became an increasingly visible figure in Meghan and Harry’s life.
Reports emerged that she moved in with the Sussexes to help care for Archie, strengthening her role within the household.
Prince Harry, who lost his mother at a young age, was said to welcome the presence of his mother-in-law, with sources suggesting the two shared a warm and supportive bond.
Supporters viewed this as a healing family dynamic.
Critics, however, questioned whether Doria’s proximity further isolated Harry from his own family.
A narrative revisited
Some royal commentators have since suggested that Meghan’s close relationship with her mother — and her reported determination to elevate Doria’s status — may have contributed to friction behind palace doors.
Others go further, arguing that Meghan used family loyalty as a means of influence within her marriage, placing Harry increasingly at odds with the institution he was born into.
None of these claims have been proven.
Neither Meghan nor Buckingham Palace has commented publicly on the reports.
Why the story still matters
Years later, the question is no longer whether Meghan truly sought a title for her mother — but why the rumour continues to resonate.
For critics, it represents entitlement and misunderstanding of royal tradition.
For supporters, it highlights cultural insensitivity and exclusion.
What is undeniable is that the story has endured — resurfacing whenever discussions turn to Meghan’s relationship with the late Queen and her approach to royal life.
In hindsight, many now see it as an early warning sign.
Before the interviews.
Before the documentaries.
Before the departure.
A moment that hinted at just how incompatible Meghan’s expectations were with the monarchy she briefly joined — and ultimately rejected.