A royal expert has said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell statement in response to a new book about them could make relations between the couple and the Royal Family worse. The Duke and Duchess had their representative release a statement in response to Tom Bower’s new book, which makes a number of bombshell claims. This includes claims that Queen Camilla told a friend Meghan had “brainwashed” Prince Harry.

In response to the book, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan said Bower had “long crossed the line from criticism into fixation”, accusing him of “deranged conspiracy and melodrama”. While the statement was released by the couple to defend themselves, royal expert and author Ingrid Seward thinks the response will “stoke the fire” between the couple and their royal relatives.

She told New Magazine: “Harry doesn’t believe in just allowing things to calm down – he is very protective of Meghan and obviously extremely annoyed and angry. The Royal Family probably do blame Meghan for everything that’s happened, and she may have told him to do something.

“But of course, all it does is make the story more juicy and keep the conversation going. It really doesn’t serve them.”