Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not been shy when it comes to sharing their version of events – now a new book reveals how the Princess of Wales dealt with the fall-out

View 6 Images

A new biography has revealed the Princess’s thoughts on Harry and Meghan(Image: PA)

Royal insiders have revealed what really happened behind closed doors before Megxit – and why a telling hunch about the duchess soon rang true.

There was a renewed sense of excitement amongst royal fans in February 2018. For the first time, Prince William, Princess Kate, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appeared on stage together to announce that Meghan would be becoming a fourth patron of the Royal Foundation.

It seemed to signal the start of a new chapter. The two couples were quickly dubbed the “Fab Four” by the media, and the future of the Firm seemed in safe hands. But, tellingly, it would be their only official charity engagement together. The promising union was short-lived; less than two years later, Harry and Meghan would quit royal life and go on to make a series of public attacks on his family.

READ MORE: Royal bombshells from ‘William’s blazing row over Andrew’ to Kate’s darkest daysREAD MORE: Prince William’s ‘clever move’ over Harry signals ‘no way back’ after bitter feud

View 6 Images

The ‘Fab Four’ on stage together in February 2018(Image: PA)

Now, the Sussexes are effectively estranged from the rest of the royals. It’s a sad state of affairs, not least because Princess Kate once had a very close sisterly bond with Harry. And it seems she quickly became wary of her future sister-in-law, according to a revealing new biography.

William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story has been penned by the Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers, drawing on his many years of experience following the royal couple, and will be published on 26th February. It’s the first joint biography of the Prince and Princess of Wales in over a decade. Here we reveal how Kate’s bond with Harry and Meghan crumbled…

Kate’s three-word Meghan verdict

Much has been made of William and Kate’s first meeting with Meghan. But there have been some inconsistencies when it comes to recollections of their first interaction. In Harry and Meghan’s engagement interview, the couple discussed how William and Kate reacted to the newest member of the royal family.

Harry said: “William was longing to meet her, and so was Catherine. So, you know, being our neighbours, we managed to get that in a couple of — well, quite a few times now, and Catherine has been absolutely…” “She’s been wonderful,” Meghan interjected.

View 6 Images

The two couples together on Christmas Day 2018(Image: Getty Images)

However, in their tell-all Netflix series, Meghan described their first meeting as “jarring”. She said: “When Will and Kate came over, and I met her for the first time, they came over for dinner, I remember I was in ripped jeans and I was barefoot. I was a hugger. I’ve always been a hugger, I didn’t realise that that is really jarring for a lot of Brits.

“I guess I started to understand very quickly that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside. There is a forward-facing way of being, and then you close the door and go ‘You can relax now’, but that formality carries over on both sides. And that was surprising to me.”

Harry also spoke about that first meeting in his book, Spare. He said that Meghan cooked and all seemed to be going well as they chatted about Wimbledon and the legal drama Suits.

“The only possibly discordant note I could think of was the marked difference in how the two women dressed, which both of them seemed to notice. Meg: ripped jeans, barefoot. Kate: done up to the nines. No big deal, I thought.”

Certainly, it seems as if the Princess approached the meeting with some caution. And while she thought Meghan was ‘friendly’, she highlighted the differences between the pair by noting that there was a ‘touch of California’ about the Suits actress, Myers writes.

Harry and Meghan ‘not to be trusted’

Kate had less interest than William in trying to stop Harry and Meghan from walking away from royal life, and believed Harry quitting his role was “inevitable”, according to the new royal book.

Having borne witness to the deterioration in the relationship, the future queen eventually realised she “could do no more to bring the brothers together” – despite previously being a “voice of reason” throughout the disintegration of their relationship. Furthermore, she believed the Sussexes were “not to be trusted” in the wake of their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview.

View 6 Images

Princess Kate believed the Sussexes ‘could not be trusted’ after their explosive Oprah interview

A source told Myers: “The whole situation with the Sussexes was just very sad and just as Philip had a degree of empathy and understanding with Catherine for coming from outside the family at the beginning, I would say Catherine had that for Meghan as well, at least at the start and she did do a lot to help her integrate into the family in the beginning.

“But Meghan simply acted like she didn’t need or want her help, it was very matter of fact and you could say she just dismissed her, which hurt Catherine. There was a lot of sadness there, but that being said, she was very clear that any engagement with Harry or Meghan should be with the utmost of caution because it was obvious that they weren’t to be trusted.”

Kate and Meghan disagreement that sparked ‘ugly’ feud

While relations between the brothers had been deteriorating over time, a dispute over Kate and Meghan played a major factor in their falling out, the book reveals. Referring to Harry’s demands for royal protection, Myers writes that the Duke’s concerns were exacerbated when his then-girlfriend Meghan “became a target on social media” during the early days of their relationship.

View 6 Images

A new biography William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story , by The Mirror’s royal editor Russell Myers

“Meghan became a target on social media owing to her biracial heritage and Harry demanded that action be taken,” one excerpt reads. “Royal aides informed him they were powerless to act, so he turned his attention to the royal protection teams funded by the Home Office. When told any such protection would not be provided until after he and Meghan were married, Harry was incredulous and appealed to his father and brother to intervene.

“The (then) Prince of Wales insisted he could not become involved in a government decision, especially one where any costs would be footed by taxpayers, but Harry was well aware that Catherine had not only received unofficial guidance from the palace when merely his brother’s girlfriend, but that she had also qualified for round-the-clock protection as soon as they became engaged. One rule for him and another for me, Harry thought.

“Prince Charles’s decision was final, though, and William’s subsequent unwillingness to help sparked a row that ignited a long-running and ugly feud.”

William’s grief over Harry’s ‘paranoid’ shift

In 2019, Meghan and Harry undertook a royal tour to Southern Africa, and made a documentary with ITV’s Tom Bradby about the trip, in which Meghan admitted publicly she had been struggling, and Harry said he and his brother were on “different paths”.

According to Myers, the show cemented something in Williams’s mind and showed the future king and queen just how much had changed between them and Harry. William also felt Harry had become “paranoid” – despite his attempts to help him.

View 6 Images

William believed his brother had become ‘paranoid’(Image: Getty Images)

“He [William] felt as though somewhere down the line, perhaps it is impossible to even say when, that he lost his brother,” a source close to William revealed to Myers. “He became paranoid, angry, obsessive and firmly rooted in the past. There’s no doubt, at that time at least, there was a lot of love and support available for Harry.”

It’s been widely reported – and Harry has himself admitted – that William warned his younger brother to take things slow with Meghan. “It’s easy to forget now, given everything that has gone on,” the author quotes an insider as saying. “But William did find Meghan quite refreshing at first. He was genuinely happy for Harry and only wanted the best for him.”