MEGHAN Markle “governed by fear” and Prince William thought she had an “agenda”, an explosive new booked has claimed.
A royal author alleges the Duke of Cambridge believed the duchess was “following a plan” by “stealing his beloved brother away” – as she told royal staff: “It’s not my job to coddle people.”
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Robert Lacey said William “threw Harry out” in a blistering row over bullying claims against the Duchess of Sussex.
Wills was furious after learning of a complaint made against Meghan by her former communications secretary in which he wrote that he was “very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year”, he added.
But when he called his younger brother to talk things through, Harry reportedly hung up on him.
The showdown between the two siblings was so fierce and bitter that William split his household from his brother’s altogether, The Times reports.
And William believed Meghan was “following a plan”, using the word “agenda” to his friend, it is claimed.
He thought the duchess was “undermining some precious principles of the monarchy” and was upset she seemed to be “stealing his beloved brother away”.
The rift grew so deep William “wished to be separated from Meghan on a day-to-day basis” which “meant being separated from his brother as well”.
The revelations came to light as a new version of book Battle of Brothers is published.
In it, Lacey also claimed William felt “hurt and betrayed” by Meghan, and wife Kate Middleton “had been wary of her from the start”.
But matters came to a head when Jason Knauf, who worked in comms for both the Cambridges and the Sussexes, submitted an official email in October 2018 alleging Meghan had bullied staff.
Meghan allegedly snapped “it’s not my job to coddle people” after aides were left in tears and humiliated by her “difficult demands”.
Mr Kauf claimed Meghan’s alleged treatment of staff was “totally unacceptable”, adding that she “seems intent on always having someone in her sights”.
One courtier claimed that the duchess “governed by fear”, while another said Palace staff used #freeharry over fears about his relationship with Meghan.
The author claims:
- “Prince William went ballistic when he heard the ‘dossier of distress’ that [ex comms secretary Jason] Knauf had gathered”
- “The prince was astonished and horrified. He was instantly furious at what he heard”
- “The showdown between the two siblings was fierce and bitter. William believed Meghan was following a plan — ‘agenda’ was the word he used to his friend”
- “Meghan was undermining some precious principles of the monarchy, if she really was treating her staff in this way, and William was upset that she seemed to be stealing his beloved brother away”
- “William wished to be separated from Meghan on a day-to-day basis — and that meant being separated from his brother as well”
More sources later told The Times a “febrile” atmosphere existed at Kensington Palace when Meghan and Harry lived beside William and Kate.
Meghan fiercely denies the claims – and her spokesperson said she’s the victim of a calculated smear campaign.
William is said to have called Harry as soon as he heard the accusations made against his wife.
Lacey, a historical consultant on Netflix’s The Crown, writes: “When Harry flared up in furious defence of his wife the elder brother persisted.
“Harry shut off his phone angrily, so William went to speak to him personally.
“The prince was horrified by what he had just been told about Meghan’s alleged behaviour, and he wanted to hear what Harry had to say.
“The showdown between the brothers was fierce and bitter.”
The row came after simmering tension between William, Kate and Harry, when Wills allegedly warned his younger brother against moving too fast with Meghan.
According to biography Finding Freedom, William said: “Don’t feel you need to rush this.
“Take as much as time as you need to get to know this girl.”
The book’s authors, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, said the phrase “this girl” immediately irritated Harry, who was “p***ed off” that his brother “would ask such a thing”.
And after the bullying allegation was made against the duchess, William is said to have felt they “linked unhappily” with his reservations.
It has always been assumed, writes Lacey, that it was Harry who set the pace in separating the two households.
However, he said: “The reverse was the case. It was William who made the decisive move.”
Kensington Palace refused to comment on the claims in the book.
The bombshell allegation comes as Harry prepares to return home and see his brother for the first time since their grandfather’s funeral.
The men are due to see each other for the unveiling of a statue dedicated to their late mother, Princess Diana.
Meanwhile, Mr Scobie today made claims about Meghan’s alleged treatment within the Royal Family.
He claimed there were “several” conversations about the colour of Archie’s skin before the tot was born – and members of the family were “unsympathetic” to the couple’s complaints.
At a Foreign Press Association event today, he said Meghan and Harry suspected it was “not just this one person” who spoke about how dark Archie’s skin could be.
Instead, he said, it was a “much bigger issue” that involved more people.
