SOME of Prince Harry’s oldest friends clashed with Meghan Markle over her strict woke views – and concluded she had no sense of humour, according to an explosive new book.
From the very beginning of her relationship with the Prince, the book claims she acted “princessy” around his pals, failed to make an effort and ticked them off for their jokey banter.
From the very beginning of her relationship with the Prince, the book claims she acted “princessy” around his pals
In his explosive new book biographer Tom Bower writes of a shooting weekend at Sandringham in 2016
Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors by Tom Bower is out on 21st July
In Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors, biographer Tom Bower writes of a shooting weekend at Sandringham in 2016 soon after Meghan and Harry’s relationship had been publicly revealed. Harry had invited 16 friends — mostly old school pals from Eton — with their wives or girlfriends.
Bower writes: “Like other shooting weekends, Harry was looking forward to endless banter, jokes — and a lot of drinking.
“He had not anticipated Meghan’s reaction. Their jokes, involving sexism, feminism and transgender people, ricocheted around the living-rooms and dining-rooms.
“Without hesitation, Meghan challenged every guest whose conversation contravened her values.
“According to Harry’s friends, again and again she reprimanded them about the slightest inappropriate nuance. Nobody was exempt.
Harry’s world would not be her world.” Some of his friends later discussed their concerns about Meghan’s “wokery”. Bower continues: “Meghan was a dampener on the party, they concluded.
“She lacked any sense of humour. Driving home after Sunday lunch, the texts pinged between the cars: ‘OMG, what about HER?’ said one. ‘Harry must be f***ing nuts’.”
Meghan clashed again with Harry’s mates during the couple’s trip to Jamaica in March 2017 to celebrate the marriage of Tom “Skippy” Inskip, Harry’s Etonian friend who had been present in Las Vegas during Harry’s infamous nude romp.
They joined 40 guests, including Harry’s oldest friends and some of their parents, for a three-day party at the Round Hill Hotel in Montego Bay.
Bower writes: “Harry flew premium economy from London, Meghan arrived from Toronto in a friend’s private jet.
“The close-knit group keenly anticipated meeting Meghan. They were quickly disappointed.
“Not only did she quibble about the food, but she behaved ‘princessy’, refusing to engage with Harry’s friends.
“ ‘She wasn’t interested in us,’ said one mother.”
Friends were also puzzled by Harry’s “incandescent” reaction to a paparazzi photographer hiding in the bushes trying to sneak pictures of the party, given that he was well used to such incidents and never usually reacted so badly. Bower writes of how in 2015, when Meghan was still a relatively unknown actress on the cable show Suits, her agent secured her a brand contract with Reitmans, Canada’s largest women’s clothing shop.
From the start, Bower claims, Meghan was not keen.
Reitmans clothes typically cost under £60 and were worn by an ageing clientele.
“She longed to be the face of Ralph Lauren, not Reitmans,” he says.
The first shoot for a Reitmans commercial, in Montreal in March 2016, was marred by clashes between Meghan and the creative team.
Meghan wanted to rip up the script, but Bower says the team refused because “in their opinion, Meghan offered no worthwhile alternative ideas, other than suggesting that a Caribbean location with a Hollywood budget would be better.”
He adds: “After ferocious exchanges, a few script changes were made, only to be rejected by Meghan again.”
A year later, filming her second campaign for Reitmans, Meghan had a meltdown over the £987- a-night suite reserved for her at the Place d’Armes hotel in Montreal and demanded to be moved to a bigger suite at the more expensive Gault hotel.
Next, Meghan demanded that she be registered in the hotel under an alias, Jane Smith, citing fears of being hassled by staff and other guests.
Bower says: “The production team were flummoxed. No one in French-speaking Montreal knew Meghan.”
But she still wasn’t happy.
Bower writes: “She criticised the hotel’s Tempurpedic bathrobe and slippers. She wanted Dior.
“The tea was the wrong blend and the vegan green juice was warm.”
Some crew started to refer to her as “The Princess” because they thought she “avoided eye contact”. Bower writes: “No one dared to contradict Meghan. The only consolation was Meghan’s actual performance.
“In front of the lens she transformed herself into a warm, glamorous icon.”
Things went from bad to worse.
Meghan was heard complaining “about the production, the clothes, the style and the script” so the crew started speaking in French “in retaliation”.
Bower writes: “During the filming, Meghan was asked, ‘What Canadian woman inspires you?’ She laughed and asked for examples.
“ ‘None of them inspires me,’ she replied. ‘You can’t make me say something I don’t want to or don’t believe in.’
“It’s a wrap,” shouted an assistant at exactly 7pm. Meghan’s agent had already called ahead to warn that her client would not film one extra minute.”
Afterwards, some crew members slammed her behaviour. According to Bower, Jean Malek, the ad’s third director, posted on Facebook: “She is definitely the meanest person I’ve ever met. Just saying.”
But afterwards, it was a different story, with Reitmans pleased when they saw a 20 per cent uplift in sales.
Bower concludes: “Meghan spoke about the TV advert and the billboards with her face across Canada as life-changing. ‘It’s a huge moment,’ she said.”
Tom Bower, 2022. Revenge: Meghan, Harry And The War Between The Windsors, by Tom Bower, is published by Blink Publishing on Thursday, July 21, priced £22.
Tom Bower is a British author and investigative journalist
