Finding Freedom book on Harry and Meghan tops UK charts

Finding Freedom is the best-selling book in the UK, the publisher announced today. 

The bombshell biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, co-written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, sold 31,000 copies in the UK in the first five days of its release, according to new figures from data provider Nielsen Book. 

The book has also topped Amazon US and Amazon UK best-sellers charts. 

The biography offers a window into Meghan and Harry’s lives during their time as senior royals, and is full of details on their shock exit from the royal family. 

It addresses the alleged rift between brothers Harry and William, 38 as well as the relationship between their wives. 

The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, claim they were not interviewed for the book, which provides a high level of personal detail and a dramatic account of the events leading up to the Sussexes’ departure from royal life.  

Mr Scobie has given several high-profile interviews to publicise the book in the week since its release.

Yesterday he made headlines once more when he spoke to True Royalty TV.

In the interview Mr Scobie claimed that Prince Harry had made an exasperated call to his grandmother, 94, following an alleged tussle with Her Majesty’s long-time dresser Angela Kelly.  

Finding Freedom was selling 31,000 copies across the UK five days after its release on August 11 its publisher has claimed 

‘Harry had to intervene,’ Mr Scobie said. 

‘He called his grandmother and said, ”I don’t know what the hell is going on. This woman needs to make this work for my future wife”. And of course, we can kind of see now where this ‘what Meghan wants, Meghan gets’ narrative came from. 

‘Harry felt that there were those within the institution that would stop at nothing at the very least to make Meghan’s life difficult.’ 

Scobie also claims that Prince William has not spoken to his brother properly since he revealed his plan to quit the UK for North America. 

In the TV interview to promote the book, Mr Scobie said: ‘The brothers had not spoken since around the time of the Sandringham summit. 

‘They hadn’t seen each other. That’s really going to take some time to heal. I think the distance between the brothers grew wider and wider. And that’s partly because of things that take place – and we discuss them in the book.’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plan to step back from their royal duties made the brother’s relationship difficult, said Mr Scobie.

He continued: ‘I think really where it went wrong for Harry and Meghan and the Cambridges was that decision to go public with the road map to their new working model.

‘The statements weren’t discussed internally. That’s really what caused the most amount of hurt to William, because he wears two hats.

‘He’s not just the brother, he’s also future king and he felt that damaged the reputation of the family.’

‘That it put family business out into the public domain when it should’ve been discussed privately and there was a lot of hurt there that continues to this day.’

Royal expert Katie Nicholl said the authors may be the ‘only winners’ from the publication of Finding Freedom.

Writing in Vanity Fair, she asked if the book was ‘worth it for Harry and Meghan’ before adding: ‘The irony of Finding Freedom is that, locked down in their rented mansion in LA, the Sussexes have less freedom than they did when they lived in Windsor.’

Meanwhile she added that the book’s authors write that the monarchy had lost two of its greatest assets. 

She concluded: ‘They, perhaps, might be the only winners in this rather sad story.’

The book had reached number one on Amazon’s Top 10 New York bestseller in 24 hours list on the day of its release for pre-order.  

Meanwhile in July, 14 days before its release, the biography also topped the media giant’s bestsellers list as royal fans rushed to pre-order their copy.