A new book about the British royal family, "Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed," written by royal author Robert Jobson, appears to exonerate Meghan Markle from accusations that she was responsible for Prince Harry's departure from the UK and his royal duties. Instead, the book suggests that Prince Harry was the primary instigator behind the move and the subsequent rift with his family, particularly his elder brother, Prince William.
In an excerpt from the book obtained by The Sun, Jobson writes that some palace aides "blame" the Duchess of Sussex for the fallout, but they are "ignoring the fact that Harry seems to be the driving force in everything that happened." Prince Harry himself has confirmed in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" that it was his decision to leave their royal duties and move away from the UK.
Jobson also notes that while some officials once jokingly claimed that Harry was a victim of Stockholm Syndrome and was being held hostage by Meghan, most now believe that "Harry has turned his back on everything he has known." Stockholm Syndrome refers to a psychological condition where hostages develop an emotional bond with their captors.
The book further reveals that tensions between Prince Harry and Prince William existed long before Meghan Markle entered the picture. However, Harry reportedly became more vocal about his struggles with royal life after meeting his future wife. Jobson claims that while Queen Elizabeth II adored Meghan, she felt that her grandson's love for the former actress "clouded his judgement."
According to Jobson, the Queen struggled to deal with the couple's airing of grievances against the royal institution in their Oprah Winfrey interview in March 2021, describing it as "quite mad" behind closed doors. The interview further eroded trust between Prince Harry and his father and brother. Jobson writes, "Neither felt they could fully trust him again, and they decided not to meet him alone in future."
The author suggests that the monarch believed Prince Harry was "so consumed" by his love for his wife that he neglected his family and royal responsibilities. Jobson also claims that the Queen found conversations with her grandson challenging due to his strained relationships with his brother and father, and that she urged him to speak to his father instead of involving her.
The book also alleges that Queen Elizabeth II was left "devastated" when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step back from their royal duties in 2020. In his memoir "Spare," the Duke of Sussex explains that they had initially requested to serve as part-time working royals but were told by King Charles III and the Queen during the Sandringham Summit that they were either in or out. This sentiment is echoed by Sarah Ferguson in a recent interview, where she states, "You can't have it both ways. You can't sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out."
