Prince Harry was the “driving force” behind his and Meghan Markle’s exit from the royal family to start a new life in the United States, a bombshell new book has claimed. The couple’s candid remarks about royal life since crossing the Atlantic has divided public opinion and strained relations with the family. While many still “blame” Meghan for Megxit back in 2020, a Palace aide told British journalist Robert Jobson for his upcoming book that this unfairly diminishes the key role Harry played in the decision.
“Some blame Meghan Markle for the fallout, ignoring the fact that Harry seems to be the driving force in everything that happened”, a Palace aide told Jobson, which is featured in his new book, Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed.
He added: “There was a point when officials joked Harry was the victim of Stockholm syndrome, and he was Meghan’s hostage, but now most just feel Harry has turned his back on everything he has known.”
Harry has also since clarified in the Netflix docuseries ‘Harry & Meghan’ that his wife should not take the blame because it was his decision to leave their royal duties behind and move out of the UK.
Jobson – who was once a renowned royal reporter – said that Harry and his brother Prince William have long butted heads even before Meghan came into the picture. But Harry reportedly became more outspoken about his struggled with royal life when he met his future wife.
The author claimed that King Charles was “deeply saddened” by the state of relations between himself and his youngest son and that he “wishes he could see more of the Sussexes’ two children.”
Since the couple left for the US in 2020, Charles has only met his one-year-old granddaughter Lilibet once, during the Platinum Jubilee last year, and Archie, three, just a handful of times.
In fact, in 2021, when Archie was turning two, royal aides struggled to find a good photo to use as part of his birthday message as the King had seen so little of his grandson, according to reports.
Harry and Meghan announced that they would be stepping down from their working royal roles in 2020 after consultation with Charles, the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William. They eventually settled in California, leaving Charles with even fewer opportunities to spend time with the youngsters.
Meanwhile, the explosive new book claims Charles refused to take Harry’s calls after the Duke of Sussex moved to California because Harry “swore” at him during a row about money.
The author wrote: “Prince Charles simply stopped taking Harry’s calls after his son swore at him and repeatedly asked for funds.
“When the Queen asked Charles why he hadn’t given in, he told her that he wasn’t a bank.”
Jobson said that Harry’s regular phone calls across the Atlantic to his grandmother also came to an end when the father-of-two “kept trying to air his grievances.”
He added: “In the end, [the late Queen] asked him to speak directly to his father instead. Her Majesty found Prince Harry’s calls quite difficult and wearisome.
“She didn’t want to interfere in the father/son relationship and would urge him to speak to his father.”
The book is expected to be published on April 13.
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