Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, tend not to respond now to the criticism they cop. But the pair is so furious at claims made about them in the latest bombshell book that they’ve struck back, with their spokesperson describing it as a “deranged conspiracy”.
Harry and Meghan released a “blistering” response to content in Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family by Tom Bower.
The book includes allegations that Queen Camilla, 78, claims her stepson was “brainwashed” by Meghan and that the former actor is seen as “bling”. It also claims Harry, 41, was angry after his “personal brand” was found to be damaging to an African charity he founded. The book alleges that executives running the Invictus Games had also grown frustrated, feeling Harry and Meghan, 44, were overshadowing the competitors.
A spokesperson for the Sussexes says investigative journalist Tom, who wrote an earlier book about them called Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, has crossed the line from “criticism to fixation”.
“He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
Royal commentator Jennie Bond says the comment shows just how angry the couple is.
Inside Harry’s fierce loyalty
“It’s rare these days to get any kind of response from Harry and Meghan – they prefer instead to ignore the noise and the gossip,” she says.
“But this time, the pushback has been both swift and blistering. Whatever the truth behind Tom’s explosive account of the continuing tensions between the Sussexes and the Windsor household, one thing is for sure: his words have hit a raw nerve.”
Critical details about Meghan will have most riled Harry’s hackles, Jennie says.
“For Harry, any attack on his wife is treason and provokes a visceral response. He will defend her to the end of the earth. And there’s nothing wrong with that. The trouble is his reignited fury and this new spotlight on all that has gone wrong over the past few years has the potential to open up new wounds.”
Claims of a dramatic shift
One claim Tom made could further derail Harry’s fragile relationship with his family. He alleges that Harry’s behaviour changed so much after meeting Meghan that even Camilla commented on it.
Tom writes, “Meghan had become a divisive agent. To please her, Harry was ignoring his old friends. He even changed his telephone number without telling his family. The jovial lad about town became possessed by seeking revenge. Increasingly, his character mirrored Meghan’s. Emotionally, he veered towards extremes. Simple dislikes became passionate hatred. ‘Meghan’s brainwashed Harry,’ Camilla told a friend.”
Invictus under scrutiny
The author also alleges that former Invictus executives were concerned the Duchess of Sussex was a distraction, labelled as “bling, not rehabilitation”.
Tom says, “Meghan needed a global stage for genuine admirations and cheering fans. To her good fortune, Harry suggested she could star at the Invictus Games, which he was about to open in Canada. Just before flying up to Vancouver in a private jet, she alerted her Instagram followers.”
Inside the growing backlash
Tom says former Invictus Foundation boss Dominic Reid worried that the sport and its competitors were being eclipsed, and that the Games had morphed into “the Harry and Meghan show”. Bosses thought the couple was “pushy” and their expenses for security, accommodation and a private jet were “exorbitant”.
The book also delves into Harry’s falling out with Sentebale, the children’s charity in Lesotho he founded in memory of his mother, Princess Diana. Tom says Harry reacted angrily when Sentebale chairwoman Sophie Chandauka told him an audit had been carried out into his “personal brand”, and found it had been damaged by his controversial memoir Spare and the Netflix series he made with Meghan.
Audit fallout deepens
Sophie said the audit allegedly found that people who support the charity didn’t want to be associated with the TV shows, “especially not with Meghan”. Several sponsors pulled their money.
In a Zoom call, Harry told Sophie that Sentebale doing the brand audit had damaged him and his wife, and he had suffered psychological harm as a result, according to the book. Harry is no longer involved with Sentebale.
Meanwhile, Meghan has copped further flak for using her royal status to make money after it was announced she’ll be the headline speaker at a three-day event for women on a visit to Sydney next month. VIP ticket holders are expected to pay around $3500 for front-row seats and the chance to be in a group photo with the duchess.
