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Prince Harry 'called Prince William a 'snob' over Meghan remark'

Rumours of a royal rift between Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ sons, Prince William and Prince Harry have been swirling for years now and a new book about the Sussexes has done nothing to put them to rest.

Finding Freedom, which was written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, who are described as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's "cheerleaders" say they wrote the book "with the participation of those closest to the couple".

Prince Harry and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend the Commonwealth Observance Day Service on March 14, 2016 in London, United Kingdom. The service is the largest annual inter-faith gathering in the United Kingdom and will celebrate the Queen's 90th birthday. Kofi Annan and Ellie Goulding will take part in the service.
Prince Harry is said to have branded Prince William a 'snob' after he warned him against marrying Meghan too soon after the met. Photo: Getty Images

In it, it’s claimed that Prince William feared his brother had been "blindsided by lust" in his haste to wed Meghan Markle back in 2018.

In Finding Freedom, serialised by the Times and the Sunday Times, the authors claim Harry was angered by what he perceived as his brother's "snobbish" attitude to his bride.

The book's co-authors claim Harry was offended by William's advice to "take as much time as you need to get to know this girl".

According to the pair, William was happy for his brother, but "just wanted to make sure that Harry wasn't blindsided by lust".

But his younger brother allegedly took offence to the phrase "this girl", and interpreted it as "snobbish and condescending".

The rest of the royals were also apparently less than welcoming, with one senior royal allegedly referring to Meghan as "Harry's showgirl" - and another saying "she comes with a lot of baggage".

Queen Elizabeth II, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge watch the RAF flypast on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, as members of the Royal Family attend events to mark the centenary of the RAF on July 10, 2018 in London, England.
It’s claimed that Prince William feared his brother had been "blindsided by lust" in his haste to wed Meghan Markle back in 2018. Photo: Getty Images

Another senior courtier is said to have told a colleague: "There's just something about her I don't trust".

Harry's belief that the palace was out to sabotage his relationship was the beginning of the rift with his brother.

He is said to have felt "unprotected" by the institutions around the monarchy, and derided by the old guard for being "too sensitive and outspoken".

Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, apparently did little to bridge the divide and never really got to know Meghan.

According to an extract from the book, relations got so bad between the royal couples that Kate Middleton completely snubbed Meghan Markle at the Sussexes’ last engagement as senior members of the royal family.

In March, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle said farewell to their royal roles at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey, with the book claiming they were left out of the royal procession at the last minute, which was a massive “disappointment” to Prince Harry.

The book goes on to say that the institution tried to “smooth things over” by asking the Cambridges to take their seats at the same time as the Sussexes.

Meghan Markle and Prince William, Duke of Cambridge attend an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey on April 25, 2018 in London, England.
In Finding Freedom, serialised by the Times and the Sunday Times, the authors claim Harry was angered by what he perceived as his brother's "snobbish" attitude to his bride. Photo: Getty Images

This didn’t go down too well, according to the book, with the Cambridges reportedly barely looking at the Sussexes when they walked into the church.

Despite claims it was the couples first time seeing each other since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to announce they were stepping away from their royal roles in January, it’s reported in the book: “Although Meghan tried to make eye contact with Kate, the duchess barely acknowledged her.”

Earlier on, it said Meghan and Kate’s relationship had “struggled to move past distant politeness" for the whole two years Meghan was part of the family.

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Now, a close friend of William and Kate has told the Mail on Sunday that they couldn’t have been more accomodating and “rolled out the red carpet” for Meghan.

'It's just completely wrong to suggest they didn't talk and plain wrong to say the Cambridges weren't welcoming,' a friend told The Mail on Sunday.

“How can you say they weren't warm or welcoming when they hosted Meghan for Christmas, invited her into their totally private inner sanctum at Anmer Hall and did everything they could to make her feel at home? They personally cooked her favourite vegan food, they couldn't have been more welcoming,” the insider said.

Royal family at the Commonwealth Day  Celebrations at  Westminster Abbey 2020
At the Commonwealth Day celebrations in March, it's claimed Kate completely ignored Meghan. Photo: Getty Images

Other claims in the book include that:

* The Sussexes felt their complaints were not taken seriously and believed other royal households were leaking stories about them to the press.

* Being told to operate under Buckingham Palace's umbrella after splitting their household from the Cambridges was "a big disappointment" to the Sussexes.

* The Sussexes even considered breaking protocol by springing a surprise visit on the Queen when they believed they were being blocked from seeing the monarch.

A spokesman for Harry and Meghan said the couple did not contribute to the book, but he did not deny the content of The Times's extracts.

The spokesman told the PA news agency: "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom.

"This book is based on the authors' own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting."

With extra reporting by AAP

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