Queen embraces lockdown with virtual unveiling
Authors describe breakdown in trust behind palace doors
Relations between the Sussexes and the Cambridges grew so bitter that they were barely speaking, according to a new book about Harry and Meghan.
Finding Freedom claims the couples h a rd l y spoke at the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey in March, despite not having seen each other since January.
The b o o k’s authors, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, said: “Although Meghan tried to make eye contact with Kate, the duchess barely acknowledged her.”
Mr Scobie said yesterday: “To purposefully snub your sister- inlaw…i don’t think it left a great taste in the couple’s mouths.”
According to extracts, when Harry and Meghan first started dating, a senior royal allegedly referred to the actress as “Harry’s showgirl”, while another told an aide she comes with a lot of “baggage”.
A close friend of Harry’s claimed the duke was “aware of the talk”, adding: “He’s extremely protective of Meghan. He understands that a lot of people are against them, and he will do everything he can to keep her safe and away from getting hurt – even if that means distancing himself from those people.”
The co-authors also suggest Meghan felt her treatment by some Palace staff was “sexist and prejudiced” and that as a “successful woman of colour” she was labelled “demanding”.
The authors describe a culture of increasing tension between the Sussexes and other members of the royal family. They say the Sussexes felt their complaints were not taken seriously and believed other royal households were leaking stories about them to the press. “There were just a handful of people working at the palace they could trust,” the authors write.
“A friend of the couple’s referred to the old guard as ‘the vipers’. Meanwhile, a frustrated palace staffer described the Sussexes’ team as ‘the squeaky third wheel’ of the palace.”
Harry and Meghan “liked being in control of their narrative” in the early days of their marriage, the authors say. But being told to operate under Buckingham Palace’s umbrella after splitting their household from the Cambridges’ was “a big disappointment to them”.
“As their popularity had grown,
The Queen online
The Queen has ticked off another first during lockdown: the virtual unveiling of a new portrait.
Despite seeing the artwork of herself via videocall, it was clear she has not lost her eagle eye. The Queen joked that a teacup featured in the painting had no tea in it, the artist revealed.
Miriam Escofet painted the portrait, which was commissioned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) as a “lasting tribute to Her Majesty’s service” to diplomacy.
The Queen saw the painting for the first time via her computer screen, before speaking to members of FCO so d i d Ha r r y and Meghan’s difficulty in understanding why so few inside the palace were looking out for their interests. “They were a major draw for the royal family,” the authors write. The book says the Sussexes even considered b re a k i n g p ro t o c o l by springing a surprise visit on the Queen when they believed they were being blocked from seeing her. A spokesman for Harry and Meghan said the couple did not contribute to the book, but he did not deny the content of extracts. He said:“the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.” The revelations come after the Sussexes staff about their work around the world during the coronavirus crisis.
Ms Escofet told the Queen during the unveiling that she had included a hidden symbol in the painting – the insignia of the FCO – painted on to a teacup.
The artist said afterwards: “She seemed to react very from the duchess to her estranged father, Thomas Markle. The paper suggests the letter was written knowing it would be leaked and say the former royal’s close friends spoke to reporters about her personal life.
While in Canada, the couple decided to step back as senior royals. Harry attempted to set a meeting with his grandmother at the start of January, but was told she was unavailable until the end of month.
The book claims when the couple flew back to the UK they “toyed with the idea of driving straight from the terminal to see the Queen”. But they decided the move would have “ruffled feathers”.
“At this point they felt like they had brought up the subject enough times with family members over the past year and they were fed up with not being taken seriously,” a source close to the couple said.
‘ To purposefully snub your sister-in-law? I don’t think it left a great taste in the couple’s mouths
positively to it. She was smiling.
“When I explained certain elements of the painting, the teacup, she made some amusing comments. She said ‘but there’s no tea in the cup’.”
The painting took seven months to complete, with the final stages finished in lockdown.
The new Royal portrait