Harry, Meghan & The Firm
Misunderstood comment sparked fall-out between brothers, claims author of book on the Sussexes
How princes fell out: William ‘snob’ row revealed in new book
THE Duke of Sussex took offence at what he deemed his brother’s “snobbishness” towards Meghan Markle when he advised him to “take as much time as you need to know this girl”, a new biography has claimed.
The Duke of Cambridge had warned his younger brother of the pace of their blossoming relationship, according to
Finding Freedom, wanting to make sure he was not “blindsided by lust”. In an extract published in The Sun
day Times, authors Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie say Prince Harry interpreted the choice of words – “this girl” – as “the tone of snobbishness that was anathema to his approach to the world”.
The book claims that an unnamed member of the Royal family referred to Ms Markle as “Harry’s showgirl” and another allegedly told an aide she “came with a lot of baggage”.
The comments are known to have upset Prince Harry. In an interview with The Times as part of the serialisation of the book, Mr Scobie said: “It seems that William genuinely wanted to make sure that his brother was making the right decision.
“That said, I’m not sure if Meghan was welcomed with as wide arms as perhaps Cressida [Bonas] or Chelsy [Davy] would have been. I think that’s perhaps because she was older and she came with a history and … I think coming from being American.”
A source said Prince William had been pleased to see his brother so “happy and content”, but “has always felt he needs to look out for him”.
After the Duke and Duchess of Sussex married, the book says, difficulties grew, with the Duke growing increasingly frustrated at how “he and Meghan often took a back seat to other family members” in the line of precedence.
Sources yesterday insisted Palace insiders were “completely relaxed” about the book, believing it had not yet revealed any “bombshell” that could hurt the Queen or her family. Others poured scorn on accounts of the Cambridges’ alleged coldness, pointing to how they hosted Prince Harry and his then-girlfriend at their home.
While the book promised to dispel misconceptions about the Sussexes, extracts confirm reports about the couple’s feelings and give insight into their frustrations.
They tried
Just before leaving Britain, the book claims, Meghan said: “I gave up my entire life for this family. I was willing to do whatever it takes. It’s very sad.” Harry believed some old courtiers “simply didn’t like Meghan and would stop at nothing to make her life difficult”, working with a hostile media to make their lives in the UK impossible.
Protective
Prince Harry was “aware of the talk” about his new girlfriend within the household, the book said, quoting an
‘It seems that William genuinely wanted to make sure that his brother was making the right decision’
unnamed friend: “He understands a lot of people are against them. He’ll do everything he can to keep her safe, even if that means distancing himself from those people.” Harry didn’t care “what his family thought or said,” the book adds. “Nothing was going to get in the way of his happiness.”
Sisters-in-law
The Duchess of Sussex, says the book, “would agree with the assessment that the Duchesses were not the best of friends”. “Flowers for her birthday were nice, but Meghan would far rather have had Kate check in on her during the most difficult times with the press,” it states. “But they weren’t at war with each other.” It describes an “awkward moment” when they were shopping in the same area separately, and claimed the Duchess of Sussex was “disappointed” they’d not bonded but “wasn’t losing sleep over it”.
Cold?
The Sunday Telegraph understands the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge invited Meghan over for drinks at Kensington Palace while Harry was away so that she did not feel alone, while the Duchess of Cambridge also shared her experience in royal wedding planning and dressing for engagements in an attempt show of friendship.
Racism
Scobie said the Duchess was a “biracial woman stepping into the House of Windsor. That was going to ruffle feathers. We only need look at the Duchess’s difficult narrative. What is ‘difficult’? Difficult is pushy, aggressive. It’s all the things that we throw on black women as a society regardless of what their actual personality is”.
Privacy
A second extract, to be serialised in The Sunday Times, promises “the truth about the wedding and Meghan’s father”.
The Sussexes have already distanced themselves from Finding Freedom, saying they have not given interviews or contributed to it. It is out on Aug 11.