Six claims made about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in explosive new Royal book

An explosive new book has unleashed bombshell claims and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and their lives behind palace walls.

Journalist Valentine Low – who has been reporting on the Royal Family for decades – has penned a book that lifts the lid on the early days of Harry and Meghan’s courtship. The book also sheds light on elements of the subsequent Royal feud, including Prince Harry’s “refusal” to meet his brother, Prince William, in order to repair the relationship.

Harry and Meghan stepped away from Royal duties in 2020, after the bad blood between them and other Royals – and the press – became too much. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex now live in California, but have recently been back in the UK and at the Queen’s funeral. The rift between the Sussexes and other members of the Royal Family rocked the monarchy, and according to the new book relationships have still not been fully healed.

Read more: Prince Harry made ‘hand flick’ gesture in awkward moment at Queen’s funeral, expert claims

Mr Low has penned ‘Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown’, which suggests that tensions were building long before the couple left the UK. In his book, Mr Low alleges that Harry had a fear of becoming “irrelevant” and he also claims that Meghan threatened to break up with Harry if he didn’t go public with their relationship, the Mirror reports.

Those are not the only bombshell claims that Mr Low makes in his book. Below are six more, that may previously have been unknown…

Prince Harry feared becoming ‘irrelevant’

A source quoted in the book suggests that Prince Harry was worried he would become “irrelevant” when Prince George turns 18. With George being second in-line to the throne, it is claimed that Harry believed he had only a limited time to make a difference, insisting that he had a “shelf life”.

The source in the book claims: “He had this thing that he had a shelf life. He was fixated [on] this. He would compare himself with his uncle [Prince Andrew]. He would say, ‘I have this time to make this impact. Because I can’.

“Until George turns 18, was the way he was thinking about it. ‘Then I will be the also-ran.’ He was genuinely thinking of it as, ‘I have this platform now, for a limited amount of time. I want to move forward, move forward.’”

An extract reads: “They (royal staff) told him, ‘You can still have an impact in your forties, fifties, even longer. So long as you set the right foundations now.’ But he never saw that.”

Harry ‘refused to meet William over crisis’

When Harry and Meghan’s relationship with other Royals became too strained to ignore, Prince William invited Harry to meet with him and discuss the ways that this could be mended. But Prince Harry refused.

The book claims that Harry was “concerned” that any attempts at bridge-building would be leaked to the press, who were already having an impact on Harry and Meghan. It is understood that Harry did initially consider the offer to meet, but turned it down before moving away.

Prince William – now the Prince of Wales – is said to have only realised just how unhappy Harry and Meghan were in the UK after seeing comments that the couple had made on the ITV documentary, Harry & Meghan: An African Journey. The documentary was broadcast in October 2019, three months before the couple stepped away from Royal duties.

It was upon seeing the documentary that Prince William tried to arrange the meeting, in a last ditch attempt at salvaging the fractured relationship. But, a few months later, Harry and Meghan moved abroad; citing a “lack of support” from the Royal Family as one of their reasons.

The reason that Harry is believed to have rejected the meeting is because he was concerned about how many people would find out that it had taken place. He asked William who would know about it and was told that William’s private secretary would know, so as to clear the time in his diary.

This was too much of a risk for Harry though, who was convinced that the team would leak the visit to the press. The book claims: “He was so concerned that William’s team would leak the visit to the press that he would rather they did not come than risk it getting into the papers.”

Meghan ‘threatened to dump Harry if he didn’t go public about their relationship’

Another explosive claim in Mr Low’s book is that Meghan threatened to end her relationship with Harry, unless he publicly declared her his girlfriend. The book contains many reports of Harry and Meghan’s early days, before the relationship was officially confirmed in November 2016, just a few months after they met in July.

The book reads: “Faced with hordes of journalists intent on trawling through every aspect of Meghan’s life, Harry became determined to protect his girlfriend. Meghan, meanwhile, told him that if he did not do something about it, she would break off the relationship.

“A source said: ‘She was saying, ‘If you don’t put out a statement confirming I’m your girlfriend, I’m going to break up with you.” Harry was in a panic. Another source said: ‘He was freaking out, saying, ‘She’s going to dump me.'”

Harry summoned by Queen to be ‘firmly put in his place’ after wedding tiara row

Organising plans for Harry and Meghan’s wedding was “particularly stressful”, according to Mr Low’s book. He claims that there were rows about scheduling, announcements, the gospel choir and even the tiara that Meghan would wear.

Prince Harry was allegedly summoned by Her Majesty the Queen, following a furious row ahead of the wedding. An argument broke out about arrangements to try on the Queen’s tiara, which led to Harry being summoned to see the monarch.

A source claims Harry had been “downright rude” and was “firmly put in his place” by Her Majesty, according to the book.

Meghan Markle: ‘I can’t believe I’m not being paid for this’

Mr Low claims that the Duchess of Sussex was displeased about not being paid for performing walkabouts, during a 16-day Royal trip to Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. The trips took place in 2018 and it is understood that Meghan “did not understand the point” of these engagements.

It is alleged in the book that the Duchess “enjoyed the attention”, as the couple were popular during the tour; with huge crowds turning out to see them, as they visited the countries and attended 76 engagements. Members of Royal staff are quoted in the book as having heard Meghan say that she believed she ought to have been paid for them.

The book reads: “Although she enjoyed the attention, Meghan failed to understand the point of all those walkabouts, shaking hands with countless strangers.” Quoting unnamed members of staff, it is claimed that Meghan was heard saying: “I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this.”

Prince Harry’s ‘attack of nerves before Queen showdown’

Mr Low’s book claims that Prince Harry would often have “an attack of the nerves”, before a phone call with Queen Elizabeth II. This was allegedly the case when he had to make a phonecall to the Queen regarding his wife’s plans to attack the media.

In 2019 Meghan was set to sue Associated Newspapers Limited over the publication of personal letters between her and her father, Thomas Markle. An extract from the new book reads: “Harry often has an attack of the nerves before he has to speak to the Queen.

“So when he joined his team for a drink in the bar that Sunday evening, he sat there, so strung out and nervous that his private secretary, Sam Cohen, told him, ‘You need to have a beer.’

“Harry will also publish a statement of his own, in which he will condemn the media and accuse the tabloids of waging a “ruthless campaign” against Meghan, vilifying her on an almost daily basis…but first, he has to make that phone call.”

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