They reveal that princes William and Harry had a fierce head-to-head fight over Meghan Markle
The children of Charles of England used to have a close relationship, but now the bond has deteriorated and seems irreparable
The children of Charles of England and Lady Di used to have a close bond until the Californian actress Meghan Markle appeared in their lives. In his new book, "Battle of Brothers: The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult," Robert Lacey reveals previously unknown details about the strained relationship between Princes William and Harry.
The veteran royal biographer and writer notes that William, 39, and Harry, 36, began to have a complicated relationship when the Duke of Cambridge expressed doubts about his younger brother's relationship with his then-girlfriend Meghan Markle. .
Lacey writes that although the bond between the princes had eased at the time of Harry and Meghan's wedding in May 2018, it worsened again that when William learned that his brother's wife was being accused of bullying her staff at the Kensington Palace. These accusations were leaked a few months ago by The Times newspaper and later denied by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
"When Harry erupted in furious defense of his wife, the older brother did not calm the waters and pressed the issue"
When William was informed about the allegations against Markle, he confronted Harry face to face. "The prince was horrified by what he had just been told about Meghan's alleged behavior, and he wanted to hear what Harry had to say," says Lacey.
"When Harry erupted in furious defense of his wife, the older brother did not calm the waters and pressed the issue," reads an excerpt. Harry turned off his phone in anger at him, so William went to speak to him personally. The confrontation was fierce ”.
Harry turned off his phone in anger at him, so William went to speak to him personally. The confrontation was fierce "
Finally, in 2019, the writer continues in another passage of the book, “William wanted to separate from Meghan on a day-to-day basis, and that meant separating from his brother as well,” which resulted in William casting the Dukes of Sussex from the Kensington Palace.
“William wanted to eliminate Meghan's 'subversive agenda' from the operations of the British monarchy, which he never seemed to understand or respect. He didn't want her or Harry to be around her anymore, ”Lacey writes in an excerpt from the book advanced by The Times.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex opened their own office and moved to Windsor. Then the so-called “Megxit” would arrive, with the departure of Harry and Meghan to the United States, thus moving away from the institutional representation of the British royal family, at the beginning of 2020.
Lacey also claims that Kate Middleton had been "distant with Meghan from the beginning" and that the allegations she was hearing from her staff supported her initial reservations about Harry's wife. Lacey quotes a Kensington Palace staff member as saying that "people felt run over" by Meghan and "didn't know how to handle her."
“Meghan presented herself as the victim, but she was the abuser. They thought she was a narcissist and sociopath, ”the source told Lacey.
All this whirlwind is unleashed just as the brothers prepare to meet again on July 1 in the gardens of Kensington Palace in order to unveil a statue that commemorates the life of their late mother, Princess Diana of Wales.
Meghan, 39, was confirmed not to be accompanying her husband to London.
Why little Archie won't be a prince
When Prince Charles, 72, becomes king he will limit the number of official members and seems to have made the decision not to grant the title of prince to his grandson Archie, first son of Prince Harry and seventh in the line of succession. The British tabloid Daily Mail published this Sunday that the heir to the throne has already communicated his decision to the Dukes of Sussex.
The decree issued by King George V in 1917 limits the titles of prince and princess to the children of the monarch, their children and the eldest grandson of the Prince of Wales, who in this case is Prince George, son of Prince William.
Prince George received the title automatically, while Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis received their titles from Queen Elizabeth II, who issued a new patent to that effect in 2013. When Charles took the throne, Archie, the eldest son of Harry would deserve that distinction, with which would come privileges such as an allocation of the crown budget and security by the state.
However, for years there has been talk of the intention of the future king to minimize the size of the royal family, convinced that citizens are not willing to pay for a monarchy overcrowded with members. "Carlos has never hidden the fact that he wants a reduced monarchy when he becomes king, "a royal source told the newspaper.
In this way, the royal family would be officially composed only of the monarch, the direct heirs to the throne and their immediate relatives.
The Sussexes already expressed publicly, in the controversial interview they gave to Oprah Winfrey, their surprise that Archie was not a prince. Until that moment, it had been thought that they had been the ones who had given up this possibility.
"Harry and Meghan were notified that Archie will never be a prince, even when Charles is crowned king," a source related to the couple told the newspaper. Other insiders assured the post that this left the Sussexes furious.
Lilibet, the newborn daughter of the Sussexes, would not receive the title of princess either.
