The only winners from this heap of saccharine guff are the authors cashing in

As THAT book finally hits shops, Richard Kay’s verdict...

‘Throwing him under a bus’

ROYAL courtiers feared the rift between Princes William and Harry could spell the end of the monarchy, a controversial new book claims.

Harry was said to have felt palace aides had ‘thrown him under a bus’ to protect his older brother by prioritising his work.

Even the Queen was concerned that the brothers ‘at war’ risked the future of the Royal Family while courtiers convened a summit where the implications were discussed, the authors of the biography claim.

The book, Finding Freedom, released yesterday, lays bare the falling out between the siblings and charts the lead up to Meghan and Harry’s decision to stand down as senior royals and move to the US.

The book says high ranking aides were so alarmed at the press coverage and speculation on social media about a rift between the two brothers and their wives ‘that they began openly discussing the impact it could have on the monarchy if things weren’t righted’.

The authors – Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand – say that in the spring of 2019, courtiers attended a retreat where the concerns were openly discussed. ‘We need to design a system to protect the monarchy full stop,’ one is quoted as saying.

‘It’s no secret, the future of this monarchy relies solely on the four people currently in Kensington Palace. The public popularity only lies with them... When he [the Prince of Wales] becomes King, the only way it lasts is if the four of them are not at war. We cannot have them at war.’

It said Harry was upset the falling out was playing out so publicly.

One source told the authors: ‘There had been moments where he felt people working with his brother had put things out there to make William look good, even if it meant throwing Harry under the bus.

‘It was a confusing time, and his head was all over the place – he didn’t know who or what to believe, and he and William weren’t talking enough either, which made everything a lot worse.’ The whole situation was so out of control, a source said ‘even the Queen was concerned’. The book also told how aides feared the popularity of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could eclipse the Royal Family and needed to be ‘reined in’.

It also recounts how Meghan felt Kate did not do enough to make her feel welcome but said this was ‘just an offshoot of the real issue at hand: the conflict between Harry and the institution’.

Harry is said to have likened meetings about his future to ‘standing in front of a firing squad’.

‘He feels there were so many occasions when the institution and his family could have helped them, stood up for them, backed them up, and never did,’ a source is quoted as saying. The book said the biggest row was about money and that courtiers viewed Harry’s position as ‘completely unrealistic’.

Royal sources said that while there was sympathy ‘now as there was then’ for the couple’s frustrations, they felt the book had painted a ‘rather absurdly one-sided view of complicated events and family dynamics’.

Astonishingly for the famously private couple, the book also tells how they ‘boasted’ to friends about their son Archie’s growth spurt – saying the growing baby was in the ‘ninetieth percentile for height’ – and the steps they took to baby-proof a mansion they rented in Canada.

The biography also details discussions between Meghan and her friend Jessica Mulroney about what would be an appropriate outfit to wear when meeting the Queen.

Other intimate details include an account of a visit by Miss Mulroney to the couple’s Oxfordshire home before the wedding, when the two women ‘spent the weekend letting their hair down, wearing face masks, drinking “copious amounts of wine”, calling Jessica’s husband, Ben, to say, “hi” and giggling because they were both tipsy’.

Other passages recount ‘soul-baring moments under Botswana’s blanket of stars’ on a trip the couple made together, which included details about exactly how Meghan packs her luggage.

It even gives a detailed account of what she has for breakfast: a ‘cup of hot water and lemon followed by steel-cut oats (usually with almond or soya milk) with bananas and agave syrup for sweetness’.