Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming tour of Australia is under threat as sources reveal the royals are “in crisis mode”, fighting off a host of scandals brought on by a book that hasn’t even been released yet!
Royal biographer Tom Bower’s explosive new book Betrayal has been serialised in the British papers over the past fortnight. The coverage has forced Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, to respond with a fierce denial.
While painting the couple’s life in California as a financial and emotional mess, the author makes several startling claims. One alleges that Queen Camilla, 78, told a friend that Meghan had “brainwashed” Harry.
Respected journalist Tom also alleges that, since Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s downfall, Harry has been fearful. He worries that “the future king, William, could remove all the Sussexes’ titles and effectively banish him.”
The Sussexes responded with an unusually sharp statement. They called the claims a “deranged conspiracy” and “melodrama,” and blasted the author’s “fixation” with them.
Image reboot in jeopardy
Insiders say Harry and Meghan have no choice but to go on the attack, with one adding, “They’re under siege as a result of this. They have lawyers on standby as these new crises pile up and, yes, they’re actively exploring legal options because it feels like a personal vendetta. “It’s certainly decimated their image reboot just weeks ahead of an Australian tour, which they were hoping would prove their worth to his dad and brother back home – and Harry’s already in hot water with William over last week’s court hearing!”
Indeed, Harry’s long-running privacy case against Associated Newspapers recently brought sensitive family details back into the spotlight. During the proceedings, a reporter mentioned in her testimony that the press had helped keep the Princess of Wales’ first pregnancy secret.
William and Kate hit the breaking point
“William’s furious to say the least,” says a palace insider.
“After Harry’s memoir Spare, Kate’s gone through enough at Harry’s hands. He’s sick of his wife being dragged through the mud by his brother’s ridiculous situation. “It’s certainly not helping the King’s hopes of letting Harry and Meghan back into the fold. William and Kate just don’t need the drama.”
It’s not been a great year so far for the Sussexes. Their abrupt dumping from Netflix has left their production company in limbo, forcing them to quickly rebrand. And there are unsubstantiated rumours their long-time PR firm, Sunshine Sachs, could be getting “way out of their price range”.
Netflix deal adds pressure
Adding to their headaches, last week, a Variety magazine exposé claimed that their deal with Netflix was hardly the fairytale they’d made out it was. Six well-placed sources spilled on how the couple’s “bedside manner ruffled feathers in meetings” and that the lacklustre ratings of With Love, Meghan resulted in $12 million worth of surplus As Ever products, including tea and baking mixes, being handed out to staff for free.
It all left a strong “we’re done!” vibe among execs at the streaming giant.
Tensions peak
“Harry and Meghan are at breaking point,” adds the insider.
“And this Aussie trip is only going to make things worse. Harry’s not an actor like Meghan – it’s not sustainable for them to play perfect couples with everything that’s going on. They’re going to crack.”
Tour troubles begin early
The tour is already showing signs of trouble. Media executive Gemma O’Neill – who booked Meghan to appear at a high-profile retreat in Sydney – has gone into liquidation and is reportedly being pursued for hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.
“It’s all a bit B-list, isn’t it?” says our source.
“Australians have never forgotten what Meghan said about hating the intensity of touring and how draining that all was for her. “So if they think they’re escaping from their problems with this trip, they should think again. They’re not going to be able to curate their entire visit and hide from unfriendly press, not when there’s a growing anti-royal push in Australia – even Charles was badly heckled in 2024.”
“This tour will either make or break them – and not many are betting on the former.”
