The highly anticipated Duke and Duchess of Sussex biography Finding Freedom is set to be released tomorrow, with extracts revealing alleged tensions within the Royal Family and the origins of the couple’s very public love story.
Written by royal reporters Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie, who stated the Sussexes “were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom”, extracts released ahead of the book's publication date have examined obstacles and tensions in the build-up to and aftermath of the couple's wedding in 2018.
Speaking to NPR, Scobie said of the book, "I think both Carolyn and I having long been on the royal beats, you know, we're aware of the narrative and the coverage that we had seen of Harry and Meghan for some time."
"And I think time and time again, we felt that there were sides to the story that were often missing. The mission here was really to paint a different perspective of a story that many feel that they already know," he continued.
The book also examines Meghan’s awareness of racist undercurrents in media coverage about her and how the Queen was "blindsided and hurt" after the couple announced their intentions to leave in a bombshell Instagram statement and is based upon Durand and Scobie’s years of reporting on the couple.
While the full book is yet to be released, here are some of the biggest takeaways released so far.
Prince William’s concerns over Meghan led to a rift between the brothers
There’s no denying that Prince Harry and Meghan’s relationship moved incredibly fast, which is said to have alarmed Prince William and senior royals.
Sources claimed the Duke of Cambridge was “being a snob”, as an unnamed senior royal reportedly referred to Meghan as “Harry’s showgirl” while another courtier said there was “something about her I don’t trust.” It was also reported that Prince Harry cut out someone in his friendship circle who ‘spent an afternoon gossiping about Meghan.’
The book claims William was skeptical of Meghan and “wanted to make sure Harry wasn’t blindsided by lust." Sources said he told Prince Harry, “Don’t feel you need to rush this. Take as much time as you need to get to know this girl.”
However, Harry was said to have been “pissed off that his brother would ask such a thing” and tensions between the brothers escalated. The brothers reportedly then saw each other less and less, leading to a frosty relationship.
Prince William’s reluctance to embrace Meghan was one of several factors which the book claims drove the brothers apart.
Meghan said she willingly gave up 'her life' for the Royal Family
The book claims Meghan was keen to devote her life to royal duties and was saddened by how things turned out.
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The authors write that Meghan told a friend: “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.”
Prince Harry had secret social media accounts
In an extract about how Prince Harry and Meghan began falling in love, authors Scobie and Durant wrote that Meghan began to follow a ‘mysterious-looking Instagram account by the name of @SpikeyMau5.’
It’s said that the name was a reference to Prince Harry’s favourite music producer Deadmau5, combined with one of Prince Harry’s pseudonyms ‘Spike Wells’ as Scotland Yard officers reportedly called the Duke the code name “Spike.”
Durand and Scobie claimed the account was Harry’s “private account” and that he had set up other private social media accounts in the past - including a Facebook page where one of his profile pictures was of King Julien from the film Madagascar.
Meghan and Kate’s relationship was ‘awkward’ not fraught
Reports about the nature of Meghan and Kate’s relationship circulated soon after the couple's marriage, with claims the pair were at odds and that Kate had even been reduced to tears after a bridesmaids dress fitting.
However, Scobie and Durand’s book claims the pair had barely any relationship to speak of and that instead it was an “awkward” one - which only grew more awkward as the Sussexes drifted from the family.
In fact, the biographers’ sources claimed a reported tense dress “fitting was fine” and without tears, with another calling the reports “ridiculous and so false.”
It was also reported that Meghan had initially hoped that Kate would potentially reach out to her and help guide her as somebody who had married into the institution, but the offer never materialised though they were cordial with one another.
One of Finding Freedom’s sources also claimed that Kate felt they didn’t have much in common “other than the fact that they lived at Kensington Palace.”
It was reported that Meghan had booked the first flight back to Canada after the service to return to Archie, with a friend claiming that she was ‘emotionally bruised and exhausted.’
Meghan said she willingly gave up 'her life' for the Royal Family
The book claims Meghan was keen to devote her life to royal duties and was saddened by how things turned out.
The authors write that Meghan told a friend: “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.”
Prince Harry was “emotional” about losing his military appointments
After the widely reported Sandringham Summit which saw senior royals gather to discuss the future of Prince Harry and Meghan’s roles in the Royal Family, it was announced that the pair would be stepping down as senior royals with a number of changes made to their titles and funding.
One of the biggest blows to the Duke of Sussex was reportedly the loss of his honorary military appointments.
Prince Harry is a military veteran who has served in consecutive tours in Afghanistan, with a strong history of charity work, including the Invictus Games, aimed at supporting fellow veterans of the Commonwealth. According to a source, it was a “tough pill to swallow.”
“That has been most painful to Meghan witness him go through,” they said, “It’s the one that made Harry emotional.”
Thomas Markle made nearly $40,000 off staged paparazzi photos
‘Candid’ pictures of Thomas Markle reportedly preparing for his daughter’s wedding - being fitted for a suit, reading a book on British landmarks and scanning stories about his daughter at an internet cafe - appeared online shortly before the wedding. However, it would later emerge that the pictures were a joint effort between Meghan Markle’s father and paparazzo Jeff Rayner.
According to Durand and Scobie, Rayner reportedly made at least $130,000 through his photo agency while Thomas took a 30% cut. The Sussexes were reportedly blindsided when they received a tip that a story exposing Rayner and Thomas’ collaboration would run, leading Meghan to ask her father for the truth as she promised her “team is going to try to stop this story - if you are telling me it’s fake.”
As she asked if her father had been “victimised”, Thomas is said to have lied to his daughter and told her “of course.” As later pictures would reveal however, Thomas was seen being directed by Rayner at an internet cafe staging the pictures on CCTV as a ‘tailor’ in a reported suit fitting picture was actually an assistant at a party goods store according to the Mail on Sunday.
After that, a source claimed that Meghan had attempted to reach her father numerous times in concern for his safety and security (especially after she is said to have discovered he had a heart attack via TMZ) with her messages reportedly reading, “Dad, I still love you. Nothing has changed. We’re going to get you safely to London. I’m sending a car to come and get you.”
It’s said that Meghan told a friend she believed her father was “vulnerable” and had been “baited”, with another friend claiming that Meghan “wouldn’t have mentally got through it” without the support of Prince Harry, her mother Doria Ragland and her friends.