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Prince Harry was given a stark warning by Queen Elizabeth II before marrying Meghan Markle, a new royal biography has claimed. Despite the former Suits actress initially being welcomed by The Firm, it is reported that the late monarch had her reservations.

According to Hugo Vickers' new biography, Queen Elizabeth II is said to have urged her grandson not to rush into the relationship, advising him to wait before tying the knot. Mr Vickers writes: "The Queen herself suggested that Harry should wait a year. He did not take her advice. Instead, as we know, the wedding went ahead just over six months after the couple's engagement."

It is believed that the Queen's advice reflected concerns within royal circles about the pace of the relationship.

Despite the advice, Harry went ahead with the wedding in May 2018, with the couple marrying at Windsor Castle in a globally watched ceremony.

But it is reported that the Queen's ambivalence to the marriage stretched beyond the wedding itself and even as far as Meghan's wedding dress.

Mr Vickers adds: "It was said that the Queen did not like the dress - too white and with ungainly shoulders. Someone close to the monarch told me her attitude to the actual wedding was: 'You get on with it. It's nothing to do with me'."

The book examines the final years of the Queen's life, which suggests she had reservations about how quickly the relationship developed.

In an extract serialised in the Daily Mail, Vickers claims that Meghan's initial welcome into the fold showed the progress of the institution, which would have frowned upon a prince marrying a divorcee in previous generations.

He adds: "Although the Prince would never have been allowed to marry a divorcee at an earlier time in Queen Elizabeth's reign, the union was welcomed by a younger, more tolerant generation.

"Even the Royal Family seemed to be bending unspoken rules for Markle: unlike previous royal fiancées, she was invited to join the Queen and the Royal family at Sandringham for Christmas 2017, and attended church with the family.

"The staff at Sandringham joyfully surrounded the couple at the annual Christmas party and nicknamed the actress 'Sparkle'."

However, although many welcomed Meghan, it is understood that the Duke of Edinburgh was not one of them.

Vickers writes: "Prince Philip, however, was not taken in. He referred to her dryly as 'the American'.

"The view Prince William expressed privately - that Harry should take more time to get to know her - contributed to a lasting rupture between the brothers. But their father also had doubts.

"Prince Charles took the line that Lord Mountbatten had taken with him before he started courting Diana: have fun, but don't marry her."