Prince Harry would subject Palace aides to “loyalty tests”, a royal author has told Express.co.uk. Harry’s “obsession” with the media and distrust of other households was sown before Meghan arrived on the scene, Valentine Low said. “If they wouldn’t do what he wanted, such as taking on the media, he would say: ‘have you become one of them?'”
What Harry was really getting at was are they one of the “old school palace aides that are more interested in protecting the institution than looking after who they are meant to be working for i.e. Harry”, Low said.
But experiences of working with Harry varied, he said, with some aides describing Harry as “very passionate, full of ideas” and “fizzing with energy”.
The Invictus Games – one of Harry’s crowning achievements – is evidence of this, the royal journalist pointed out.
“He bulldozed through conventional expectations that you couldn’t put on a thing that quickly.”
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Low added: “It could be great working for him but it could also be quite full on.”
According to the royal journalist, Meghan simply “heightened” Harry’s feelings about royal life.
The Duke’s “distrust with the household, his obsession with the media, his desire to create an impact and do something useful before he becomes middle aged and boring” was already present, the royal author claimed.
Low has just released Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition and the Power Players Behind the House of Windsor, an explosive insight into the inner workings of the royal institution.
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The royal author has previously offered sympathy with the Sussexes for their “acrimonious” departure from roles as senior working royals, suggesting Buckingham Palace handled the situation “clumsily”.
In a previous interview with Express.co.uk, the royal author said: “The Palace handled it badly. Harry and Meghan were clearly unhappy.
“Being born in the family should not be a life sentence – it was handled clumsily.”
Buckingham Palace confirmed in February 2021 that Harry and Meghan would not be returning to royal duties.
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“While all are saddened by their decision, the Duke and Duchess remain much loved members of the family,” the palace statement said at the time.
The couple then settled in Montecito, an affluent neighbourhood in Santa Barbara, California.
The Sussexes have since carried out high-profile media appearances, kicking off with the Oprah Winfrey interview in 2021.
This was followed by the couple’s docuseries for Netflix in December and the release of Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare on January 10.
The Sussexes’ recent media adventures have divided public opinion, with polls suggesting their popularity has taken a hit as a result.
In a poll conducted on 2,000 US voters, once in December and again in January, Harry’s popularity plummeted from +38 to -7 and Meghan’s has dropped from +23 to -13 over the same period.
According to an LA-based royal expert, these findings are borne out by attitudes on the streets.
“I am going to tell you something you do not want to hear, in the States the conversation is Harry and Meghan need to apologise and they need to move back to the UK,” said Kinsey Schofield.
