Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan book claims
royal relations turned bitter
Biography in which Sussexes did not take part depicts
deteriorating relationship with Prince William and Kate
Staff and
agencies
Sat 25 Jul
2020 01.12 BSTLast modified on Sat 25 Jul 2020 09.27 BST
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/jul/25/harry-and-meghan-not-interviewed-for-royal-biography
Relations
between the Sussexes and Prince William and his wife, Kate, deteriorated so
much that by March the two couples were barely speaking, extracts from a book
on Prince Harry and Meghan claims.
Finding
Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, claims the couples hardly spoke
during an engagement at the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey despite
not having seen each other since January amid the fallout of the Sussexes’
decision to step back from the royal family.
The book is
due to be published in August and is being serialised in the Times and Sunday
Times. Harry and his wife, Meghan, have said they were not interviewed for the
biography and did not make any contributions to it.
The authors
said the couple “liked being in control of their narrative” from the early days
of their marriage. 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, so did Harry 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
describe a culture of bitterness and resentment gradually growing between the
Sussexes and other members of the royal family.
Prince
Harry felt ‘unprotected’ by his family
Extracts
from the book 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 … 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 arrive at Royal Albert Hall in London in March.
Harry and Meghan arrive at the Royal Albert
Hall in London in March. The book says Harry believed some of the old guard
‘simply didn’t like Meghan and would stop at nothing to make her life
difficult’.
The book is
also reported to say that Harry felt “unprotected” by his family and disparaged
within palace walls for being “too sensitive and outspoken”. He believed some
of the old guard “simply didn’t like Meghan and would stop at nothing to make
her life difficult”.
Scobie said
it was hard for Meghan as a mixed-race American to join the royal family. “That
was going to ruffle some feathers.”
The
Sussexes considered the extreme measure of breaking royal protocol to contact
his grandmother, the Queen, as tensions grew in the family. Harry spoke to his
father, Prince Charles, and the Queen about the need to change things before he
left for Canada for six weeks at the end of 2019.
The authors
write: “He felt at once used for their popularity, hounded by the press because
of the public’s fascination with this new breed of royal couple, and disparaged
back within the institution’s walls.”
While in
Canada the couple decided to step back as senior royals. The book claims Harry
attempted to set up a meeting with his grandmother at the start of January but
was told she was unavailable until the end of the month.
In the
extract published in the Times, the authors write that as the couple flew back
to the UK they “toyed with the idea of driving straight from the terminal to
see the Queen”.
But this
was abandoned because they decided it could have “ruffled feathers” and caused
them difficulty.
A website
designed to clarify Harry and Meghan’s future was “deeply upsetting” to members
of the royal family and “hurt the Queen”, the book claims, saying the couple
were forced to take action after a story broke that they were going to stay in
Canada permanently.
The book’s
authors write that a royal source denied leaking the story, instead blaming the
couple “because they were frustrated at the palace in the talks that were going
on … They wanted to force the decision, to break it open.”
The couple
deny this claim, the Times reports.
In Finding
Freedom a source said the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh were ‘devastated’ by
the Sussexes’ website.
On 8
January Harry and Meghan used their Instagram page to share the news of their
future plans and launched the website sussexroyal.com.
The website
took everyone by surprise, the authors write.
“Aides and
family members knew the couple wanted to step back, but the website, which laid
out the details of their half-in-half-out model as if it were a done deal, put
the Queen in a difficult position.”
Buckingham
Palace put out a short statement 15 minutes after the Sussexes made theirs, but
aides, including the Queen’s private secretary, were “furious”. And there was
significant reaction from fellow royals, with a source saying the Queen and the
Duke of Edinburgh were “devastated”.
A senior
member of the household was quoted in the book as saying: “The element of
surprise, the blindsiding of the Queen, for the other principals who are all
very mindful of this, rightfully, it was deeply unsettling.
“The family
is very private and bringing it into the public domain, when they were told not
to, hurt the Queen.
“It was
laying out what the Sussexes wanted in a statement without consulting with Her
Majesty first – and she’s the head of the institution.”
The book’s
authors write that the Queen told Harry his proposed arrangement would not
work, prompting him to search for solutions across several days of intense
meetings with top aides from all three royal households.
One aide
made a joke about Meghan launching a line of cosmetics, while another source is
quoted in the book as saying: “The biggest row was over money, because it
always is.”
In April
2019, Kensington Palace announced Harry was working with the US chat show queen
Oprah Winfrey on a mental health documentary series.
The couple
have promised that “everything they do will continue to uphold the values of
Her Majesty”.
As the excerpts
were published, a statement on behalf of Harry and Meghan 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.”
With
Reuters and the Press Association
Harry angry at William's 'snobbish' advice about
Meghan, book claims
Prince William said to have feared brother was
‘blindsided’ by lust in his haste to marry
Caroline
Davies
Sun 26 Jul
2020 12.00 BSTLast modified on Sun 26 Jul 2020 19.05 BST
The royal
rift that led to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving Britain and stepping
back from royal duties began after Prince William feared his brother had been
“blindsided” by lust in his haste to marry Meghan Markle, a new book claims.
Harry was
offended by William’s advice to “take as much time as you need to get to know
this girl”, causing tension between the two that finally led to “Megxit” ,
according to the authors of Finding Freedom.
He was
allegedly angered by the words “this girl”, perceiving it as “snobbish” and
“condescending”.
The
Sussexes have distanced themselves from the book, by the royal correspondents
Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, with a spokesman for the Sussexes saying they
were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom, which was
“based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and
their own independent reporting”.
In it, the
authors claim to chronicle the deteriorating relationships between the
Sussexes, senior royals, and the palace “old guard”. One senior royal is said
to have referred to Meghan as “Harry’s showgirl”, while another allegedly said:
“She comes with a lot of baggage.”
A senior
courtier is said to have remarked: “There’s just something about her I don’t
trust.” One frustrated palace staffer is said to have referred to Meghan as
“the squeaky third wheel” of the palace. The book claims the couple thought
there was only a handful of people at the palace they could trust, while a
friend of theirs referred to the old guard as “the vipers”.
In extracts
serialised in the Times and Sunday Times, the authors claim there was no actual
feud between Kate and Meghan, contrary to press reports, but that the two women
had nothing in common. Kate would reach out to Meghan, but “didn’t lose sleep”
over it when she did not respond, while Meghan was disappointed by Kate’s lack
of support, according to the book.
Rather, the
authors claim, the alleged rift between the two couples was due to a growing
coolness between Harry and William. By March, at the time of the Commonwealth
Day service at Westminster Abbey, the couples were said to be barely speaking.
Scobie told the Times Meghan had tried to make eye contact with Kate at the
service, but had been barely acknowledged. “To purposefully snub your
sister-in-law … I don’t think it left a great taste in the couple’s mouths.”
Harry and
Meghan’s decision to cut free grew out of Harry’s belief they were unprotected
by the institutions around the monarchy and derided by the old guard for being
too sensitive and outspoken, the book claims.
This
apparently led to their decision to move to Windsor. “He wanted to get away
from the goldfish bowl that was Kensington Palace,” the authors said. It is
also claimed they believed other royal households were leaking stories about
them to the press.
Once they
decamped to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, thus splitting from the Cambridges at
Kensington Palace, it was apparently “a big disappointment” to them to be told
they must operate under Buckingham Palace’s umbrella. The authors wrote: “As
their popularity had grown, so did Harry 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.”
Having
spent Christmas in Canada away from palace pressure, and formulated plans to
move there, they were unable to immediately see the Queen to discuss their
plans. Believing they were being blocked from seeing the monarch, they even
considered breaking protocol by springing a surprise visit by driving straight
to see her from the airport terminal after landing back in the UK, it was
claimed.
When they
made their “Megxit” announcement on a new website, Sussexroyal.com, aides
including the Queen’s private secretary were said to be furious, and the Queen
and Prince Philip apparently devastated.
Neither
Buckingham Palace nor Kensington Palace have commented.
Author of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's
biography Omid Scobie says even the Sussexes 'didn't expect things to turn out
the way they did' and promises book will be the definitive version' of their
lives
British journalist Omid Scobie discussd the release of
Harry and Meghan's bio
Says it feels nice to finally talk about the project
after 'beavering away at quietly for two
years'
Admitted even the Sussexes didn't expect things to
turn out the way they did
Finding
Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family is set to be
released worldwide online on August 11
With
Reuters and the Press Association
By JESSICA
RACH FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED:
12:06 BST, 6 May 2020 | UPDATED: 14:42 BST, 8 May 2020
The author
of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's much-anticipated biography Omid Scobie has
admitted it feels nice to 'finally be able to talk about' the project he's been
'beavering away at quietly for two years'.
British
journalist Omid Scobie, who has accompanied Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan
Markle, 38, on a variety of royal tours, took to the podcast The Heir Pod to
discuss the release of the book.
Finding
Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family is set to be
released worldwide online on August 11, with the hard copy on sale from August
20 and was released to pre-order over the weekend.
And Omid
admitted that their tale has included twists and turns that 'even the Sussexes
didn't expect'.
Speaking
about finishing the biography, he said: 'It's been a long time in the making.
The last few weeks have been quite a challenge getting it all ready in time for
the deadline.
'It feels
nice to finally be able to talk about it after quietly beavering away on it for
a long time.'
He added:
'This project started about two years ago, and there have been twists and turns
that no one expected. This is something no one expected.
'I don't
even think Harry and Meghan, who by their own account struggled with the
realities of the situation, expected things to turn out the way they did.'
Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A
Modern Royal Family is set to be released worldwide online on August 11, with
the hard copy on sale from August 20 and was released to pre-order over the
weekend
Explaining
that the biography gives a real inside account of their story, he said: 'I've
been on so many engagements and around them as much as possible, and spoken to
so many people in their lives, so no stone has been left unturned.
'I've seen
the couple remain faithful in their own beliefs and stand strong in the face of
adversities which have been publicly played out in the press, and I would like
to think this tells the definitive version of their lives together.'
British
journalist Omid Scobie, who has accompanied Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan
Markle, 38, on a variety of royal tours, took to the podcast The Heir Pod to
discuss the release of the book
British
journalist Omid Scobie, who has accompanied Prince Harry, 35, and Meghan
Markle, 38, on a variety of royal tours, took to the podcast The Heir Pod to
discuss the release of the book
Publishing
house Harper Collins, which owns Dey Street Books, the publisher of the
biography released a brief description of Meghan and Prince Harry's
collaboration with the two journalists.
The book's
description says that 'few know the true story of Harry and Meghan'.
It promises
to go 'beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan's
life together, dispelling the many rumours and misconceptions that plague the
couple on both sides of the pond'.
It
continues: 'With unique access and written with the participation of those
closest to the couple, Finding Freedom is an honest, up-close, and disarming
portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple who are
unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path away from the
spotlight, and dedicated to building a humanitarian legacy that will make a
profound difference in the world.'
A
description of the biography on Amazon promises to offer an 'honest, up-close,
and disarming portrait' of the 'confident, influential, forward' Prince Harry ,
35, and Meghan Markle, 38 (seen on their wedding day in May 2018) +4
A
description of the biography on Amazon promises to offer an 'honest, up-close,
and disarming portrait' of the 'confident, influential, forward' Prince Harry ,
35, and Meghan Markle, 38 (seen on their wedding day in May 2018)
The cover
features a beaming Prince Harry and Meghan as they visited their namesake
county in October 2018 for the first time.
The Mail on Sunday were told that before
moving to North America, the Sussexes gave an interview to the book's authors,
both journalists.
One of
them, Omid Scobie, is thought to be close to Meghan and was one of the favoured
journalists given details of the couple's video call to the Queen last week in
which they wished her a happy 94th birthday.
Echoing
Princess Diana's secret involvement in the blockbuster biography, Diana: Her
True Story, when she encouraged her friends to speak to author Andrew Morton,
questions are being asked whether members of Meghan's inner circle were being
urged to help Scobie and his American co-author, Carolyn Durand.
The
320-page biography, due to be released in August, is expected to be a global
bestseller.
 |
Harry and Meghan 'did not contribute' to new book
Finding Freedom
25-07-2020
The Duke
and Duchess of Sussex have denied contributing to a new book about their life
in the Royal Family.
The book,
Finding Freedom - which is being serialised in the Times - has claimed the
Sussexes and Cambridges were barely speaking by March.
It also
says friends of Prince Harry and Meghan referred to some Palace officials as
"vipers".
A spokesman
for the Sussexes, who now live in California, said they had not been
interviewed for the book.
A statement
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 book's
authors, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, 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."
The duke
and duchess are now based in Los Angeles, California, having stepped back as
senior royals earlier this year.
For their
last public appearance as working members of the Royal Family, they joined the
Queen and other senior royals at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster
Abbey on 9 March.
They have
since begun their new life of personal independence in the US, pursuing charity
projects.
There are
some startling headlines accompanying the serialisation of Finding Freedom but
those in search of a smoking gun may be disappointed.
Reliable,
quotable sources are the hard currency of books about royalty. And Finding
Freedom is quite well sourced. The authors have leant heavily on contacts in
the different courts - Buckingham Palace for the Queen, Kensington Palace for
William and Kate, 'the Sussexes' for Harry and Meghan. And they have spoken to
at least one person, maybe more, who feels he or she can speak for, and at
times quote, Meghan herself, and at least one friend of Prince Harry who feels
he or she can do the same.
So some
flesh is put on the bones of a story that we know quite well but despite the
headlines there are no new properly sourced revelations in the book as
serialised so far. We knew that William and Harry's relationship was badly
damaged; Harry told ITN's Tom Bradby that in the interview he gave in late
2019. We knew that Meghan felt abandoned by the Palace; she went out of her way
to make that point to Bradby in the same programme.
We knew
that the Queen was upset by the couple's declaration of independence in January
this year - senior Palace sources told the BBC within hours of the couple's
statement. And we knew that Harry despises the media and some of its coverage
of Meghan; he has spoken openly and very clearly about how he feels.
So Finding
Freedom may be more rewarding for the rounded portrait it paints of a couple at
the centre of a terrible whirlwind than in any particular revelation about who
did what to whom, and when.
Earlier
this month, Meghan delivered a speech to a gender equality summit, while the
duke and duchess also spoke to young people about equal rights during the
Queen's Commonwealth Trust weekly video call.
Meanwhile,
the Sussexes have launched legal action in the US after drones were allegedly
used to take pictures of their infant son Archie.
The move
marked the latest example of the Sussexes actions against what they have
previously described as "invasive" tabloid media.
Meghan is
also suing the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online for breach of
privacy and copyright infringement. The publisher denies her claims.
|
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