Meghan Markle's version: "For the royal family I gave up who I was"
In the Times the first extract from Finding Freedom, a biography of the Sussexes and their farewell to the Windsors (but from which they have distanced themselves). The jealousy of William and Kate
LONDON - Two brothers, one destined to become king, the other without a specific role, who, after having grown up together and having helped and protected each other, barely speak. It is the new chapter of the Windsor saga proposed by Finding Freedom, the biography of Harry and Meghan written by two journalists, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, of which yesterday the Times published the first of three extracts. "The making of a modern Royal family", reads the subtitle, but in reality, more than the birth of a modern royal family, the story is that of the crumbling of a legendary structure.
While a new scandal is the last thing royals need while waiting to know what will happen to Prince Andrew due to his friendship with US pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, the book does not seem to contain sensational revelations. , nothing, at least for now, that the tabloids have not already written: the Sussexes, moreover, have already distanced themselves. "They weren't interviewed," a spokesperson said. "Harry and Meghan didn't contribute in any way." The fact remains that no one comes out particularly well and this does not help the Windsors. Not William and his wife Kate, apparently jealous of the popularity of Charles and Diana's second son and his wife, not Harry and Meghan, disappointed by the low consideration accorded to them and determined to do their own thing, not the courtiers' machine and assistants unable to find the elasticity necessary to manage the couple's desire to build a life of their own. Only Queen Elizabeth is saved and, with an imminent breakup, in one of the most touching scenes of the book she invites her nephew to breakfast: only her, Harry and the Sunday roast.
Harry and Meghan can no longer use the title of royal heights, they do not have an official role, they cannot use the word "royal" in any kind of commercial project. They moved to California with their son Archie, but the distance does not seem to have cured the bitterness.
Meghan, according to the book, is particularly disheartened. "For this family I gave up my life," she confided to a friend in tears. “I was willing to do anything, but here we are. It's very sad". Harry, on the other hand, would be particularly saddened by having been deprived of the honorary military posts he had obtained thanks to his active service in various war zones. "The commitment with veterans - reads the book - is an important part of his life". The freedom of the title, in short, has a cost. In England the Sussexes felt frustrated. Their projects in importance always came after those of William and Kate. They were exploited for their popularity and at the same time ignored, isolated and poorly protected by the house machine. And now? The separation of Harry and Meghan is a missed opportunity. The arrival of a biracial woman at court had suggested a turning point. The Windsors had seemed more relevant, more in touch with the reality of the country. The Sussex marriage had delighted many mixed couples in the Kingdom and sparked a conversation, well before the explosion of the Black Lives Matter movement, about what it means to be British today. According to the book, Harry was aware from the start that Meghan's skin color would be annoying. The facts seem to have proved him right.
