- A new book about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle claims the couple’s relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton got so bad that they barely spoke.
- “Finding Freedom,” an unofficial biography of Harry and Markle, charts the Sussexes’ alleged issues with the royal family and the increasing tension which ultimately led to their resignation.
- The book has been serialized in the Times and claims that the Sussexes repeatedly tried to resolve their frustrations within the monarchy, but ultimately felt they had no choice but to exit.
- “I gave up my entire life for this family. I was willing to do whatever it takes. But here we are. It’s very sad,” Markle reportedly told a friend in March.
- A spokesperson for Harry and Markle said they were not interviewed for the book, the BBC reports.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
An unofficial biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claims their relationship with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge got so bad that the couples barely spoke when they saw each other for the first time in months.
“Finding Freedom,” written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, is due to be published in August and has been serialized by the Times and the Sunday Times, with the first excerpt released today.
As well as claims surrounding the deterioration of relations between the two royal couples, the book charts the Sussexes’ alleged issues with the royal family, and the increasing tension which ultimately led to their resignation.
A spokesperson for Harry and Markle told the BBC they were not interviewed for the book:
“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 Sussexes’ press office did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for further comment.
Harry and Markle wanted to write their own narrative
According to a source quoted in “Finding Freedom,” the Sussexes had wanted to be independent while part of the royal family.
“Harry and Meghan liked being in control of their narrative,” the source said, adding that the couple had wanted to form their own household, but this wasn’t allowed.
The book claims that the royal family wasn’t happy with Harry and Markle’s growing popularity, with the duo receiving much more interest than Prince William and Kate Middleton.
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But the institution’s hierarchy led to tension, with the Sussexes reportedly feeling aggrieved when their projects were given less importance than those of the Cambridges or Prince Charles.
A source claimed: “Every conversation, every issue, every personal disagreement, whatever it may be, involves staff.
“It creates a really weird environment that actually doesn’t allow people to sort things out themselves.”
Rising tension led to the Sussexes’ resignation as royals
The book claims that Harry repeatedly raised his frustrations with senior members of the royal family, telling them that they felt used for their popularity, attacked in the press, and also treated unfairly within the institution.
“He and Meghan didn’t want to walk away from the monarchy; rather, they wanted to find a happy place within it,” the authors wrote.
But when no progress was made, they decided to leave.
“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 of not being taken seriously,” a source told Scobie and Durand.
When Harry and Markle launched their new website sussexroyal.com laying out their plans, it came as a surprise to everyone within the royal family, according to the book.
“The element of surprise, the blindsiding of the Queen, for the other principals who are all very mindful of this, rightfully, it was deeply upsetting,” said a source named as a senior member of the household.
The Queen and Prince Philip were reportedly “devastated.”
The Sussexes’ resignation ‘created a complete headache’
After the Sussexes’ resignation was announced, senior members of the royal family and staff had long discussions about what this would mean financially, according to the book.
An aide is quoted as saying that the couple had created “a complete headache” for everyone involved.
William was reportedly absent from the discussions, telling a source: “I’ve put my arm around my brother all our lives and I can’t do that anymore; we’re separate entities.”
At the same time, Markle and Middleton’s relationship was going down a similar path — although the authors claim the Duchesses never moved past “the distant politeness of when they first met.”
Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images
Much blame for the couple’s decision to leave, in the eyes of courtiers and many family members, was placed on Markle.
“I gave up my entire life for this family. I was willing to do whatever it takes. But here we are. It’s very sad,” Markle reportedly told a friend in March.
However, the book claims that Harry had never really enjoyed being part of the royal family, and the decision to leave was as much his as his wife’s.
Harry left things on a positive note with the Queen though, enjoying a warm, friendly lunch with her, “just granny and grandson,” where the Queen reportedly told him he would always be welcome to return if he changed his mind.
Harry and William’s relationship had turned sour
One of the Sussexes’ final engagements as working royals was the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in March, where onlookers pointed out that there seemed to be very little warmth between the couple and the Cambridges, as Insider’s Mikhaila Friel reported.
The brothers barely acknowledged one another. According to a source in the book, William was “hurt” by how Harry and Markle had handled their resignation.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
The Sussexes were left out of the official procession at the service, and this lack of support confirmed they’d made the right decision, the authors claim.
“Meg just wanted to get home,” a friend told the authors. “At that point she couldn’t imagine wanting to set a foot back into anything royal again.”
Harry and Markle are now based in Los Angeles with their son Archie, where they’re working on charity projects while also fighting legal battles with the media, most recently over paparazzi taking extreme measures to photograph them.
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