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15 Explosive Claims From Meghan Markle And Prince Harry Biography

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

From ELLE

A long-awaited biography chronicling the relationship between Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has now been released, providing claims and revelations about the couple's meeting, marriage, work and departure from the royal family.

The biography is not authorised, and this has been clarified by representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who stressed that they had not been interviewed for the book and that the author's version of events comes from their 'own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting'.

Nevertheless, the biography Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, penned by royal correspondents Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, is making waves for its apparent behind-the-scenes revelations about a relationship which has been subject to unthinkable levels of press and public fascination, attention, scrutiny and harassment since it begun in 2016... eventually leading the couple to step away from royal life in hope of a future where there lives will be less interrogated.

Excerpts from the book were initially serialised in the Times and Sunday Times, with further extracts shared by People magazine this week, detailing a fractious relationship between the Sussexes and some members of the royal family and their staff, the early days of their relationship, lead up to the wedding - including clarifying previous tabloid stories - and the days preceding their landmark statement about become financially and physically independent from the monarchy. Now, the book is out (August 11th) and further claims have been revealed.

The most fascinating claims from 'Finding Freedom':

The souring relationship between the Cambridges and Sussexes

The book claims that the relationship between William and Kate and Harry and Meghan had deteriorated even before the 2018 royal wedding.

Meghan and Kate have never been much more than acquaintances, the book also alleges:

'Although Meghan might have understood Kate’s wariness to strike up a meaningful friendship, they were still no closer by the time she was a fellow senior working member of the royal family and the wife of William’s brother. Flowers for her birthday were nice, but Meghan would far rather have had Kate check in on her during the most difficult times with the press.'

However, while not particularly close friends - and let's be fair, many other sisters-in-law might feel the same - the book says they 'were not at war with each other' like some sections of the media claimed, pitting both women against each other.

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

The book suggests that shortly before Harry and Meghan announced they were effectively leaving the royal family at the start of the year, relations between the Cambridges and Sussexes had soured culminating in the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey where they barely spoke with one another.

Meghan was overcome with emotion leaving the UK

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's final outing in the book was the aforementioned Commonwealth Day service but just a few hours before Meghan had tearfully said goodbye to the team she had been working with in the UK and was particularly emotional about how everything had turned out.

According to Finding Freedom, 'With the state room almost empty except for a few familiar faces, the tears the duchess had been holding back were free to flow... "I can't believe this is it," she said, hugging one of the young female aides she had become close with. Though Team Sussex was a much smaller operation than the more sophisticated offices at Clarence House and Kensington Palace, in the short space of a year since setting up, they had become like family.'

Meghan Markle had to undergo military-style training when she became engaged to Prince Harry

As well as the standard protocol for people joining the royal family (including training on protocol, etiquette and formalities), Meghan also had to undergo an 'intense two-day security course with the SAS,' say the book's authors. This is standard procedure for royals with all members having had to take part aside from the Queen and involves preparing for all types of terrifying scenarios including hostage situations and attacks.

Why Meghan Markle didn't attend Patrick J Adams' wedding

In December 2016, Meghan's friend, co-star and on-screen husband Patrick J Adams married his long-term partner Pretty Little Liars star Troian Bellisario in a woodland ceremony in Santa Barbara, where guests camped in tents for the weekend. Though the rest of the Suits cast were there, including Sarah Rafferty and Gabriel Macht, Meghan was not - despite having been invited, says the book.

Photo credit: Alexandra Wyman - Getty Images
Photo credit: Alexandra Wyman - Getty Images

'She decided in the end that it wouldn't be a good idea for her to attend,' says Scobie and Durand of the difficult decision. 'Paparazzi flying over the ceremony in helicopters to take pictures of her would have ruined the day for everyone.

Adams and Bellisario did travel over to the UK for Meghan and Harry's royal wedding in May 2018.

How Meghan Markle felt about Princess Michael of Kent's Brooch

Shortly after the couple announced their engagement, Meghan was invited by the Queen to join the royal family's annual Christmas lunch with the rest of the family. However, one moment that particularly overshadowed this was when Princes Michael of Kent arrived wearing a racially insensitive and offensive blackamoor brooch (she later apologised). The fact that this coincided with the inclusion of the first biracial soon-to-be member of the royal family was picked up on at the time.

According to the book, Meghan wondered 'if there wasn't a message being sent in the pin of the torso of an African man wearing a gold turban and ornate clothing'.

At the very least, the book notes that the move showed 'insensitivity' to Meghan's African-American identity and roots and the subsequent racism she had encountered since dating Prince Harry, which the Duke of Sussex had lambasted in the press a year earlier.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's dog name revealed

When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex adopted a black Labrador shortly after their marriage in 2018, there was much speculation as to the name of the pup with Meghan even remarking during an official visit: 'they [the newspapers] keep getting her name wrong.'

Well, according to Finding Freedom, the mystery has now been solved as the dog's name is Pula.

The name is of significance to the couple as it is the official currency of Botswana - where the couple actually visited for their third date (more on this and the special place the country has in their heart, below). According to People, who have published excerpts of the new biography, Pula also means 'rain' in setswana and as rain is rare in Botswana it's considered a blessing.

Meghan Markle was advised by the palace not to wear a 'H' necklace

According to new excerpts published by US magazine People, Meghan was advised not to wear a necklace with a pendant bearing the initial 'H' - in honour of her husband - as it would attract interest from photographers in the early days of their relationship. Indeed the sweet tribute did make headlines. Last year, Meghan also revealed that she refers to her husband with the nickname 'H'.

The authors claim Kensington Palace phoned Meghan to share their thoughts, which she listened to but allegedly grew frustrated with afterwards.

'After hanging up, she felt frustrated and emotional,' the passage says. 'While she knew the aide had good intentions, the surreal experience of having someone from her boyfriend's office tell her what kind of jewellery to wear or not to smile at a photographer was too much.'

Meghan reportedly called a friend afterwards to vent that she 'couldn't win' and 'damned if she did and damned if she didn't' after the day before people online claimed she looked 'miserable' in photos when she was trying to ignore a photographer and not smile at them.

The former Suits star has since been seen wearing a 'H' and 'A' necklace, in honour of her son Archie, while watching the US open in 2019.

Speculation over their actual engagement date

The Finding Freedom book claims that Meghan and Harry were engaged significantly earlier than their November 2017 announcement, says People, with the authors suggesting they were engaged when they made their first joint appearance at the Invictus Games in Toronto in September.

Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images
Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images

The couple previously said during their interview with Mishal Husain to mark the occasion that they had got engaged 'just a few weeks ago' in their Kensington Palace cottage while cooking a roast chicken.

Prince Harry had a secret Instagram account with an unlikely handle

Scobie and Durand claim that shortly after Meghan and Harry had their first date, the Suits actor began following an Instagram account called '@SpikeyMau5'.

The secret account belonged to none other than Prince Harry and was named after Harry's love of house music, paying homage to DJ Deadmau5, claims the book. The 'spike' part of the handle refers to a nickname some protection officers had for the Prince and a Facebook alias he also used to go by.

Meghan did not have a private account, famously, and had 1 million followers long before she met the Prince thanks to her Suits fame.

Prince William allegedly told Harry to take it slow with Meghan

Prince Harry was allegedly aggrieved when he was advised by his elder brother to take his relationship with Meghan slow.

According to the book:

'Don’t feel you need to rush this,' William told Harry, according to sources. 'Take as much time as you need to get to know this girl.'

In those last two words, 'this girl', Harry heard the tone of snobbishness that was anathema to his approach to the world. During his 10-year career in the military, outside the royal bubble, he had learnt not to make snap judgments about people based on their accent, education, ethnicity, class or profession.

According to the book, the Duke of Cambridge was pleased his brother seemed happy with his new love, but was looking out for Harry, who can allegedly take things too personally and can be sensitive in comparison to William.

The book claims others within palace circles made swift judgments about Meghan, which only increased Harry's protectiveness of his future wife.

Prince Harry allegedly reads comments about himself and Meghan

Since the get go, the royal couple have been the subject of many hurtful stories, but rather than ignoring them, Harry indulges by reading them, the book claims, even scrolling to read 'trolls' comments under tabloid newspaper articles.

This is not the first time this has been claimed of Prince Harry. In 2017, former royal editor at The Sun Duncan Larcombe told Cosmopolitan UK: 'I was always surprised at just how religiously he reads stuff that’s written about him. I think Prince Charles hasn’t read a newspaper in years but Harry, and to some extent William, they almost read everything that’s written. It’s a sign that probably deep down he is worried about what people think of him.'

'False' Royal Wedding stories

The book clarified false wedding stories that circulated following the 2018 extravaganza. A story that did the rounds, adding to the harmful 'duelling Duchesses' narrative, was that Meghan left Kate in tears following a bridesmaids fitting. This was false, the book says.

A source, who was at the mid-May wedding fitting and has never discussed before what really happened, said stories about tears have been 'puzzling' to those who were present. 'Some of the children weren’t co-operating, and there was a lot going on. Everyone tried to help where they could, but it’s never easy with kids at fittings. There were no tears from anyone. And in the end, the fitting was fine. Kate and Meghan were both a little stressed but professionals in the room, and there were other people there.'

The book says they have confirmed with 'several aides' from across the palace that the story was false.

Another similar story, claiming that Meghan instructed Diptyque diffusers to be placed around St George's Chapel for her wedding day, was not all it seems either. The book says the plans were signed off by all parties and were similar to scented candles Kate requested for her Westminster Abbey wedding in 2011.

Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images
Photo credit: WPA Pool - Getty Images

People magazine also expanded on another royal wedding rumour that did the rounds in the tabloid media, alleging that Meghan and the Queen were involved in a disagreement about which tiara the Duchess of Sussex should wear for the ceremony. The book claims that actually, instead, the disagreement was between Prince Harry and the Queen's dresser over the length of time a hair trial was taking. It went ahead in the end with 'no hesitancy' from the Queen, and Meghan and Harry have previously shared before how special going to choose a tiara, which Harry called 'an incredible loan' from the Queen.

Meghan 'gave up her entire life' for the royal family

Following a tense few months, Meghan reportedly tearfully told a friend in March: '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.'

The Sussexes' anger at the palace refusing to clarify false tabloid stories

Much of Harry and Meghan's upset was around not feeling supported by all sections of the royal operation, the book claims, with anger at leaks to the press and bureaucracy which meant some of their plans were put on hold.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were also saddened by the palace not clarifying false news stories, the book says.

While it is very much the norm for the palace to not wade into every story about the royals, the couple were reportedly upset when they did issue a rare statement to deny that the Duchess of Cambridge had undergone a Botox procedure.

Their third date was in Botswana

After conducting their first date - a blind date, set up by a mutual friend - at Dean Street Townhouse in Soho, the couple's third date was in Botswana.

It's long been known that the African nation holds a special place in the couple's heart - Meghan's engagement ring contains a stone sourced from the country and the mother-of-one has discussed camping there with her husband before - it perhaps wasn't known that they holidayed together so early on.

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