**Meghan Markle Haunted by Royal Family’s Hidden History of Disabled Children**
*Published Oct. 17, 2025, 7:28 p.m. ET*
RadarOnline.com reveals that Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, endured the difficult experience of being forced to test her unborn baby for disabilities on orders from the Queen. This regulation stems from the royal family’s shocking and little-known history involving children with abnormalities.
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### Royal Rule Rooted in Tragic Family History
It has become a standard protocol for pregnant royals to undergo testing for chromosomal abnormalities due to this somber legacy. Meghan, now 44, was required to submit to these tests before announcing her first pregnancy with baby Archie.
A source explained, “All women in the royal household must submit to this test now. Many of the royal houses of Europe are closely related, so the gene pool is quite shallow, which increases the chances of producing children with abnormalities. Even though Meghan was a non-royal, that didn’t change the fact she had to get tested.”
The royal family’s history includes several hidden stories of disabled children. Among them are the Queen’s two female cousins, who spent their entire lives hidden away in a hospital due to learning disabilities.
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### Meghan’s Secret Ordeal Before Archie’s Birth
The same insider added, “Meghan wasn’t happy about having to submit to the testing, but it was non-negotiable – like most traditions in the royal family. She hasn’t spoken about it yet, but it haunts her deeply. She’s keeping this one up her sleeve—perhaps for her memoir!”
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### Hidden Royals Locked Away for Decades
One of the lesser-known royals affected was Prince John, the youngest child of King George V and Queen Mary. He suffered from epilepsy and learning difficulties and was secluded in a remote cottage on the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. Isolated and largely neglected by his family, he was cared for only by his devoted nanny, Lalla. Prince John passed away at just 13 years old in 1919.
Similarly, Katharine Bowes-Lyon and her elder sister Nerissa, nieces of the late Queen Mother, lived with learning disabilities. Born during a time when disabled individuals were often treated with shame, the sisters were hidden from public view for most of their lives. Despite the Queen Mother’s role as patron of UK learning disability charity Mencap, the cousins were confined to institutions and barred from public life.
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### The Queen’s Hidden Cousins Exposed
A 1963 edition of Burke’s Peerage, the authoritative guide to aristocratic families, falsely claimed that the sisters had died in 1940 and 1961. In reality, Nerissa died in 1986 at age 66, and Katharine passed away in 2014 at age 87. They spent much of their lives in the Royal Earlswood Hospital in Surrey.
Friends recalled that the sisters were aware of their royal connections and would often curtsey to the Queen during televised appearances. On Princess Diana’s wedding day, they watched the ceremony on TV and gently stroked the screen in awe.
The details of their accommodation became public in 2012, when UK broadcaster Channel 4 aired the controversial documentary *The Queen’s Hidden Cousins*. The film suggested the royal family had treated the sisters with neglect, a revelation that reportedly distressed the monarch.
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### Attempts to Reach the Hidden Royals
Over the years, there were several attempts to connect with Katharine Bowes-Lyon. One British reporter visited the Royal Earlswood Hospital carrying a birthday bouquet for her. Decades ago, an American TV crew, led by interviewer Geraldo Rivera, secretly filmed Katharine inside the hospital using a concealed camera to expose the hidden royal.
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This hidden chapter of the royal family’s history sheds new light on the longstanding protocols around health testing during royal pregnancies — protocols that Meghan Markle experienced firsthand.
https://radaronline.com/p/meghan-markle-royal-family-first-child-disability-scan-claims/
