Meghan Markle is reportedly blaming the royal family for the failure of Prince Harry's high-profile security lawsuit in the United Kingdom, which has left the Duke of Sussex facing a legal bill of nearly $2 million. The fallout from the defeat has fueled renewed speculation that the Duchess of Sussex may release her own memoir to offset the financial burden, according to sources cited by Globe.
The case, which Harry ultimately lost in the Court of Appeal earlier this month, sought to overturn the U.K. government's decision to withdraw taxpayer-funded police protection for the prince and his family during their visits to Britain. The Duke argued that the risks he faces are unique due to the circumstances of his birth and military service.
"I was born into this position. I was born into those risks. And they've only increased over time," Prince Harry said in a BBC interview following the ruling. He added, "I can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK."
Sources told Globe that Meghan did not support Harry's decision to appeal, warning him of the financial risk if the case failed. She "didn't want Harry to pursue an appeal because if he lost, he would be required to cover legal costs for both sides," one insider said. "But there was no talking him out of it."
The case centered around RAVEC, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which authorizes security for members of the royal family and other high-profile individuals. The committee determined in 2020 that Harry and Meghan, who had relocated abroad and ceased working royal duties, no longer qualified for state-funded security.
Court documents revealed that RAVEC rejected proposals to allow the Sussexes to personally fund Metropolitan Police protection during overseas visits. The Home Office concluded that they had become "private citizens" living abroad, placing them outside the remit of government security services.
The High Court and Court of Appeal rejected multiple arguments advanced by Harry's legal team, including claims that RAVEC's policies were rigid, biased, or lacked transparency. In the Court of Appeal, Sir Geoffrey Vos concluded, "I have tried to see how and whether the Claimant's sense of grievance translates into a legal argument," but ultimately found no such grounds.
Following the decision, tensions within the Sussex household reportedly intensified. "This $2 million bill puts a huge amount of pressure on Meghan as well as Harry to make up for the revenue loss," a source told Globe. "They already run a tight ship financially and don't have a spare couple of million just sitting in the bank."
According to the report, Meghan has increasingly viewed a memoir deal as a potential solution. "She kept putting it off, but now she may have no choice," one source claimed. "It's easy to imagine that putting out her own story, in exchange for a huge paycheck, is starting to look more tempting."
Such a move could further widen the existing rift with Harry's family. "For Meghan, there's no reason to hold back now that things have become so toxic with the royals," the source added. "But Harry must realize she is building a wall between him and his family that he will never be able to scale."
The prince previously acknowledged that his 2023 memoir Spare contributed to his estrangement from senior royals. Speculation around a second book from Meghan has persisted since the couple's relocation to California.
