The book – written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand – focused on the married life of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and was published in August of last year. Finding Freedom explains in detail their relationship, royal family and personal life.

Harry and Meghan have both denied any involvement in the biography, saying its authors do not speak for them.

The Duchess of Sussex has launched legal proceedings against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) for copyright infringement over what she claims is a private letter written to her ex-father, Thomas Markle.

In September last year, the ANL argued that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had “cooperated with the authors of the recently published book Finding Freedom to publish their version of certain events”.

Now, Meghan and Harry’s former communications secretary Jason Knauf has submitted a witness statement to the Court of Appeal.

In the statement, Mr Knauf said Harry and Meghan “authorized specific cooperation in writing in December 2018”.

Mr Knauf said “the book has been discussed directly with the Duchess on several occasions in person and by email”.

He claimed Meghan gave the authors of the book “useful” written “substantive reminders” and “when you sit down with them” briefing notes.

He said in an email presented in evidence: “The Duchess… added the points of information that she wanted me to share with the authors when I met them.”

READ MORE: Harry claims he warned Twitter CEO of Capitol Hill riots the day before

Mr Knauf’s testimony to the appeals court was supported by text messages and email exchanges, the Sunday Times reported.

Roya Nikkhah, editor-in-chief of The Sunday Times, tweeted: “Knauf also says that Meghan told him in texts that she had” obviously “written her August 2018 letter to her father” with the understanding that she could be leaked “to the media, so she was ‘meticulous’ in her choice of words, calling him ‘Dad’ to ‘pull the chord’ if it leaked.”

It comes after Meghan and Harry continued to deny any involvement in the book.

In her statement, Meghan said: “It is not true that my husband and I (or any of us) spoke to the authors for the purposes of the book.

“We also didn’t meet with them ‘towards the end of 2018′, let alone at any time to discuss’ how [we] would cooperate in the drafting of the Book ”.

Mr. Knauf replied that he was against the idea, mainly because he did not expect the Book to be hostile to us and he did not want to offend the authors.

“While I do not agree or understand Mr. Knauf’s point of view, I have followed his direction and did not send a proactive email to my friends despite my wish.”

Mr Knauf served as Harry’s communications secretary for four years from February 2015 and Meghan’s after their marriage.

He still works for Prince William and Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, at Kensington Palace.

OPINION:

The Battle of Agincourt began with a volley of arrows fired by exhausted English forces, while Napoleon’s forces launched the Battle of Waterloo just before lunchtime (rude, right?) With artillery bombardment .

But who needs guns in 2021 when we have people?

This week, after a period of unusual peace and quiet on the royal front, skirmishes resumed with lawyers called in after a new report in the US weekly, which resuscitated the face-to-face between Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Buckingham Palace over allegations of royal racism.

On August 31, which will also mark the 24th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the updated edition of the staunchly pro-Sussex biography Finding Freedom is expected to be released. Thus, Omid Scobie, one of the authors of the title is back on the public relations campaigns.

Audiences got a first glimpse of the new PR misery that may be in store for palace courtiers thanks to this week’s People cover story which features an interview with Scobie.

In the article, he alleges that Harry and Meghan felt Her Majesty did not take “full responsibility” for the racism allegations they raised during their prime-time outpouring.

(In March, the Duchess claimed there had been “conversations about her unborn son’s skin color” and that tabloid press racism had been “a big part” of why they decided to leave the UK. The Queen’s response to the allegations was sparse at 61 words, saying in part: “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are cause for concern. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously. seriously and will be treated by the family in private. “)

Scobie and co-author Carolyn Durand, per People, write in the new edition of Freedom: “The Queen’s Comment” Memories May Vary “” Has Not gone unnoticed “by the couple, who a close source says , was “not surprised” that full ownership was not taken. “

They quote “a friend of Meghan’s” saying: “Months later and little responsibility has been taken. How can you go forward with this?”

Do you hear that sound? It is the bandage torn from the still raw wound that are the allegations of racism that Meghan has already brought to the palace.

To be clear here, it’s not the Sussexes themselves who are reopening this particular Pandora’s Box.

Last year, when the book was first published, the couple denied having contributed to it. As part of Meghan’s privacy lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday, the Duchess’s lawyers have listed a series of “incorrect” details in Freedom.

However, also during the same case, it appeared that on one occasion she had transmitted information, via an intermediary, to the authors “to avoid any further misrepresentation”.

Yesterday, the lawyers acting for Harry and Meghan returned to action (these two certainly maintain their legal team in billable hours, don’t they?) Keeping the couple away from Scobie’s new claims and threatening legal action if any media suggested they had “re-started a rift” with the Queen.

As a source told The Daily Beast overnight, “They created this problem themselves. By talking to Scobie, they made him their unofficial spokesperson, so people are embracing it.”

Beyond all of this, what is clear is that this People story, and the upcoming global campaign to move copies of Freedom, will see the Sussexes’ damaging claims about their palace treatment resurrected in the press. and brought back to the fore.

And that, in turn, will only serve to remind the world how inept and deeply inadequate Buckingham Palace’s response to the charge of racism has been and continues to be.

The Queen has claimed Meghan’s claims will be dealt with “in private”, but is that enough for a ruler who presides over a Commonwealth, the majority of whose population is made up of people of color?

While it was revealed earlier this year that Buckingham Palace is considering hiring a diversity czar, no announcement has been made on the matter. In June, the annual sovereign grants report revealed for the first time that only 8.5% of royal staff are from ethnic minorities, a source saying “we can do better”.

Does it cut English mustard? Far, far from it.

A poll carried out weeks after Oprah’s interview found that nearly 43% of non-white Britons believed the royal family was racist, compared with just 27% who thought they were not. The same poll of ethnic minority voters found that on whether the UK should retain the monarchy, the “yes” only crossed the line with 43% versus 40% in the “camp” no”.

The Royal Family have a lot of ground to cover on this issue, on the grounds that they have so far not taken any public action to try to catch up with it.

This People story, and any other new piece released to attempt to tempt the masses of book buyers, will only reinforce how much the monarchy is on the high seas right now when it comes to tackling issues. of race raised by the Duke and Duchess.

Give the courtiers a toe sucking scandal or a suggestion of some kind of murky financial scam or a Windsor just got caught without his pants on in Vegas and that’s okay. Get out the pro-forma press release Gerald, there’s a good guy.

But when it comes to facing Harry and Meghan’s very serious allegations head-on, the palace has unequivocally failed.

The only HRH to come out directly and respond directly to Harry and Meghan’s claims was Prince William who firmly told the press days after the interview saying the royal family was “not at all racist”.

But, sorry, the occasional stingy denial is just a sorry excuse for an institution that needs to do better if it is to still be in the business of the throne into the next century.

Sigh.

Here is at least one good thing that Scobie has alleged, telling people that we are now in happy territory forever, and that the Duke and Duchess are staying away from “part of the toxicity.”

“They seem to exist in a different place, and that place is a lot healthier,” Scobie said. “Meghan said it was not enough to survive – we are now in the chapter of prosperity.”

Same thing, one could say, for their lawyers too …

• Daniela Elser is a royal expert and writer with over 15 years of experience working with a number of major Australian media titles.

Finding Freedom is the UK’s best-selling book, the publisher announced today.

The explosive biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, co-written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, has sold 31,000 copies in the UK in the first five days of its release, new figures from the supplier show of Nielsen Book data.

The book also tops the Amazon US and Amazon UK bestseller charts.

The biography offers a window into the life of Meghan and Harry during their tenure as royals and is full of details about their shock exit from the royal family.

It discusses the alleged rift between brothers Harry and William, 38, as well as the relationship between their wives.

The Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, say they were not interviewed for the book, which provides a high level of personal detail and a dramatic narrative events which led to the departure of the Sussexes from royal life.

Mr Scobie gave several high profile interviews to publicize the book in the week following its release.

Yesterday he made the headlines again when he spoke to True Royalty TV.

In the interview, Mr Scobie claimed Prince Harry made an exasperated call to his grandmother, 94, following an alleged scuffle with Her Majesty’s longtime dresser Angela Kelly.

“Harry had to intervene,” Mr Scobie said.

“He called his grandmother and said, ‘I don’t know what’s going on. This woman has to make it work for my future wife. ” And of course, we can sort of see now where that ‘what Meghan wants, Meghan gets’ narrative is coming from.

“Harry felt there were people within the institution who would stop at nothing at least to make Meghan’s life difficult.”

Scobie also claims Prince William has not spoken properly to his brother since revealing his intention to leave the UK for North America.

In the television interview promoting the book, Mr Scobie said: “The brothers had not spoken since around the time of the Sandringham summit.

“They hadn’t seen each other. It’s really going to take a while to heal. I think the distance between the brothers widened more and more. And that’s partly because of the things that are happening – and we discuss that in the book. ‘

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s plan to step down from royal duties has made the brother’s relationship difficult, Mr Scobie said.

He continued: “I think really where it went wrong for Harry, Meghan and the Cambridges is this decision to go public with the roadmap of their new working model.

“The statements were not discussed internally. This is really what caused William the most harm, as he wears two hats.

“It is not only the brother, it is also the future king and he felt that this had damaged the reputation of the family.”

“That this put the family business into the public domain when it should have been discussed in private and there has been a lot of trouble there that continues to this day.”

Royal expert Katie Nicholl said the authors could be the “only winners” of the Finding Freedom publication.

Writing in Vanity Fair, she asked if the book “was worth it for Harry and Meghan” before adding: “The irony of Finding Freedom is that, locked in their rented mansion in LA, the Sussexes have less freedom than ‘they had none when they lived in Windsor.

Meanwhile, she added that the authors of the book write that the monarchy has lost two of its greatest assets.

She concluded: “Maybe they could be the only winners in this rather sad story.”

The book had reached No. 1 on Amazon’s Top 10 New York Bestsellers in 24 hours on the day it was released for pre-order.

Meanwhile, in July, 14 days before its release, the biography also topped the media giant’s bestseller list as royal fans rushed to pre-order their copy.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive new biography, Finding Freedom, is coming under fire from Amazon UK readers for its “sugar coated” and “sickly sweet” take on the couple.

The controversial biography of the Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, was published earlier this week and was quick to rise to the top of the bests list. -sellers of the media giant as royal fans rushed to pre-order their copy, as it also hit number one on UK and US sites.

However, many Amazon UK readers anticipated the book online, with a comment: “Confused who wrote this … Biographical autobiography written in the style of Mills and Boon. Sweet love triumphs over story of adversity that will be loved by people who love the awakened couple and make fun of others.

It comes after royal pundits have widely swept the biography aside, with some saying it “suffocates readers” with its “exhausting” and “mundane” details, and called it the “pure, undiluted voice of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle “.

An Amazon reviewer, who gave the book a star out of five, wrote: “It’s a hagiography, not a biography.”

They continued, “A fairly ordinary book because it is very one-sided! It is a manual guide to settling immature scores.

“I also find it rather bad that the authors are adamant that neither Harry nor Meghan helped with this book, but there are some very, very personal details that could only have come from the couple or very, very close friends. . “

Another called it “poorly written drivel and self-pity”, while another added: “This book is sickly sweet and made of Meg (as H and his friends) kind of awakened Mother Theresa.

“It is obvious that there has been a huge cooperation with the couple, probably similar to the way Princess Diana has worked with Andrew Morton.

“I just hope the authors share some of their profits because, as they say in the book, both are careful about the money !! Maybe the book should have been titled Finding Gifts.

Another said it should be read with “a big pinch of salt,” explaining, “That may be true, but the spinning wheel must have worked overtime.

“I am amazed that Harry and Meghan say they have not been interviewed. Their friends must have incredible memories of private conversations.

However, other readers said the book helped them gain a better understanding of the couple, with a slew of reviews giving the biography five stars.

One of them wrote: “I bought this book thinking it would be a total waste of time, but I was curious what the royal couple wanted the world to know.

‘I started to really sympathize with what was written and I feel like it’s an honest portrayal of what really happened. It’s an (unusual) love story and the circumstances are explained.

Another person, who rated the book with four stars, added: “I found that the authors really humanized the couple.”

It comes after royal experts deliver scathing verdicts on the book, with Richard Kay claiming the biography “doesn’t just feed into suggestions the couple hand-fed these anecdotes – so precise and so private – to the authors. Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand themselves, or allowed others to do so on their behalf, it also invites the kind of intrusion that they are so quick to deplore ”.

Palace insiders described the book as a ‘score settlement’ after Harry and Meghan left the royals for a living in Los Angeles – after suddenly announcing their intentions in January in a move that left the Queen ‘injured “.

The book offers new information on Harry’s falling out with William and how the couple felt ‘thrown under the bus’, after disagreements began when the prince’s older brother called Meghan ‘that girl’ and expressed his concerns that he might precipitate the romance.

The authors say Harry “felt that people working with his brother put things in there to make William look good, even if that meant throwing Harry under the bus.”

Excerpts from the book have already revealed many details of the couple’s departure from the royal family, including how the couple considered driving directly to confront the “devastated” Queen over Megxit after returning from Canada in January.

Sources close to the couple also claim in the book that royal assistants feared Meghan and Harry’s popularity would overshadow that of the royal family itself – and say the couple were jealous of William and Kate getting top roles and “Did not feel supported” by royalty.

The author’s note appears to acknowledge that the writers worked with the couple on the biography, reading: “We spoke with close friends of Harry and Meghan, royal assistants and palace staff (past and present), the charities and organizations they have built for a long time – lasting relationships with and, where applicable, the couple themselves. ‘

Among the new revelations of the book are:

• Meghan Markle has forged such close ties with Prince Charles that she considers him her “second father”;
• Meghan has often been ‘seen with filing cabinets filled with Royal Protocol research’ so she did not take the wrong foot;
• The Queen gave Meghan a royal masterclass in protocol and described Meghan as “very smart and good”;
• Harry felt he had been “thrown under the bus” by assistants working for his brother Prince William;
• The royal courtiers feared that the brother’s quarrel “could spell the end of the monarchy”;
• Meghan left the UK “emotionally bruised and exhausted” after her last frosty event with William and Kate;
• Russian hackers stole hundreds of their personal photos in 2018 after gaining access to an online account.

Since Prince Harry was reported to have started dating Suit actor Meghan Markle, the world has been captivated by their relationship. The couple first bonded romantically in 2016, before announcing their engagement in November 2017, getting married at Windsor Castle six months later and welcoming their son Archie in May 2019.

However, not everything has gone well, they have also had to deal with significant struggles, dealing with an unprecedented level of intrusion into their lives, navigating racial abuse directed at Meghan and dealing with rumors. of rupture between them and the other members of the royal family.

Tuesday August 11, Find freedom, a biography on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is in press. Written by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the book documents journalists’ experience of working close to the couple.

While a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess said The independent that they had no involvement in the book – it is “based on the authors’ own experiences” in the royal press corps – it promises insight into their lives, work and decision to move away from royal life, following interviews with over 100 royal initiates.

Here is our report on Find freedom by reading the book from start to finish:

Please wait a few moments for the live blog to update.

Royal enthusiasts could finally get answers to the questions surrounding Prince harry and Meghan Markle ‘strained relationship with the British royal family in the new book, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Creation of a Modern Royal Family.

While the book written by the royal reporters Omid scobie and Carolyn Durand only hit the stands on August 11, clips of the highly anticipated title aired at The temperature in July. As a result, a spokesperson for Harry, 35, and Meghan, 39, issued a statement denying any involvement.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not questioned and did not contribute to Find freedom», The statement to Us weekly read. “This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.”

Scobie and Durand also dispelled speculation the couple had been interviewed for the book, noting that they had spoken to over 100 sources, including the couple’s inner circle, palace staff past and present and more.

“The book doesn’t claim to have interviews with Harry and Meghan. And neither do we,” Scobie said. The temperature. “I think you can tell from the reports, my time with the couple is enough for me to get to know my subjects.”

The authors did, however, spend time with Harry and Meghan. Scobie was one of three journalists from the Suit the alum’s penultimate engagement in March before the duo officially left their posts as a member of the Royal Family working for Queen Elizabeth II.

“Back at Buckingham Palace, the ACU students are now heading to Westminster Abbey and Harry quietly slipping out the door to say hello, the reality – and the emotions – have finally set in as I do. a farewell hug to Meghan, ”Scobie recalled. “She returns to Canada on the last commercial flight of the day, eager to be back on Vancouver Island in the morning before Archie wakes up.”

Harry and Meghan announced their intention to step down from their senior royal duties in January, less than two years after their wedding in May 2018. In March, they attended their final royal engagements before moving to Los Angeles with their son Archie .

While Prince william has not yet commented publicly Find freedomsaid a source We that he’s not happy with the book.

“William believes the book is their calculated way of controlling the narrative and that they took advantage of their entertainment contacts to be painted in a favorable light,” the source said.

Another insider noted: “Even before the book came out, the bad blood between William and Harry was evident. But it took a whole different turn.

Scroll on for the biggest reveals from the book:

An upcoming book promises to tell the inner story of how Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, turned their backs on royal life.

Here’s what we know about Finding Freedom – and if the Duke and Duchess were involved – as well as some of the biggest things we’ve learned yet.

For Australians, the book comes out August 12

It’s a day later than the UK and the US.

However, you may already get a taste. Multiple extracts have already been published by the British newspapers The Times and The Sunday Times.

The book was written by two longtime royal correspondents

Finding Freedom editors say Carolyn Durand (a journalist who covered the royal family for two decades) and Omid Scobie (the royal editor of Harper’s Bazaar) had “single access” and wrote their book “with the participation of those closest to the couple”.

The clips released so far certainly have a flying feel on the wall.

However, the Duke and Duchess themselves were not involved. Here is what a spokesperson said in a statement:

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have not been interviewed and did not contribute to “Finding Freedom”.

“This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.”

Nonetheless, the perpetrators were called “sympathetic” to the couple.

Sibling issues reportedly started soon after Harry met Meghan

Durand and Scobie write that when Harry and Meghan were dating, the Duke sat down with his brother Prince William to discuss their relationship.

According to a source, William, who had only met Meghan a “handful” of times, wanted to make sure that Harry “was not blinded by lust”.

Harry would have been offended by this alleged statement from his brother:

Durand and Scobie explain:

“In those last two words, ‘that girl,’ Harry heard the tone of snobbery that was anathema in his approach to the world. During his 10-year career in the military, outside of the royal bubble, he had learned not to slam judgments about people based on their accent, education, ethnicity, class or profession.

“Plus, to take Meghan out of the equation, Harry was tired of the dynamic that had built up between him and his older brother. There was a fine line between caring and condescending. Just because he was leading his life differently from his brother didn’t mean it was wrong. “

We don’t know if Harry would recognize this portrayal, but he acknowledged the tensions last year.

A source also told Durand and Scobie that there was an open invitation for William and his wife Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, to visit Harry and Meghan when they lived in Oxfordshire from May 2018 to March 2019 , but they never did.

Meghan and Catherine simply wouldn’t have much in common

According to Durand and Scobie, Meghan and Catherine only spent a “handful of occasions” together before the 2018 wedding.

But despite the “duchesses in duel” media account, Finding Freedom says there was no bad blood.

Here’s how Durand and Scobie describe the relationship:

“Meghan would agree with the assessment that the Duchesses were not best friends. Their relationship hadn’t progressed much since she was Harry’s girlfriend. Although Meghan could understand the mistrust of Kate to forge a meaningful friendship, they still weren’t closer by back in her days as a senior member of the royal family and wife of William’s brother. The flowers for her birthday were lovely, but Meghan would have much preferred that Kate watches her during the most difficult times with the press.

“But they weren’t at war with each other either.”

Members of the royal family have reportedly said unfavorable things about Meghan

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to search, up and down arrows for volume.

To concern

Duration: 1 minute 31 seconds1m 31s

According to Durand and Scobie, a senior royal called Meghan ‘Harry’s showgirl’, while another said she came with “a lot of luggage”.

It was a similar story with a high-ranking courtier, who allegedly told a colleague, “There’s just something about her that I don’t trust.”

According to a source, courtiers as well as “a certain family” also blamed Meghan for the hardships caused by the Sussexes’ push for independence.

Meghan reportedly told a friend in March:

The Queen and Prince Philip were ‘devastated’ by the launch of the Sussex Royal website

This characterization of the reaction of the Queen and Prince Philip was courtesy of “several” members of the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess launched the Sussex Royal website, as well as an Instagram account, earlier this year, announcing their intention to “step back” as senior members of the Royal Family, become financially independent and to divide their time between the UK and North America. .

Finding Freedom describes the negotiations that followed, including the “Sandringham summit” attended by the Queen, Prince Charles and William and Harry (with Meghan reportedly joining by phone from Canada).

The ensuing deal involved Harry and Meghan abandoning the Sussex Royal brand.

But according to a “source close to the couple”, Harry’s loss of his honorary military duties touched the most:

A senior Buckingham Palace official also reportedly said:

Prince William infuriated Prince Harry when he told his younger brother he should move forward slowly in his relationship with former Meghan Markle, fearing he would be “blinded by lust”, according to a new book on the Windsors.

The second part of a serialized version of the book Find freedom, who appeared in the Sunday opening hours, claimed that Harry was irritated by what he perceived to be William’s snobbish tone in a discussion about the American actress when they were dating. Royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand wrote that Harry didn’t like William’s advice to “take as long as needed to get to know this girl”.

The authors quote a source close to William as saying he didn’t want Harry to be “blinded by lust”. The authors wrote that Harry “no longer felt like he needed medical attention,” and took it the wrong way.

“In those last two words, ‘that girl’, Harry heard the tone of snobbery that was anathema to his approach to the world,” the excerpt said, noting that Harry spent 10 years in and out of the military. of the royal bubble.

“Moreover, to take Meghan out of the equation, Harry was tired of the dynamic that had developed between him and his older brother,” the authors added.

In announcing the publication of the book, Harper Collins UK stated that the book by Scobie, royal publisher of Harper’s Bazaar and Durand, She the magazine’s royal correspondent, reportedly aims to capture “the real Harry and Meghan”. The publisher said the authors had received “one-stop access” and cooperation from those closest to the couple.

Ahead of the book’s release, Harry and Meghan released a statement denying that they were involved in the publication.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not questioned and did not contribute to Find freedom, “It said.” This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting. “

The book described how the rest of the family and the royal household were also unsure of what to do with Meghan. A high-ranking courtier reportedly told a colleague, “There is just something about her that I don’t trust. Another called her “Harry’s showgirl.”

The snippet is even harsher on the Duchess of Cambridge, suggesting that she barely rolled out the red carpet for Meghan, despite the similarity of the challenges the two would face.

“While not necessarily her responsibility, Kate didn’t do much to bridge the gap. She was fiercely loyal to her husband and family,” the authors wrote. “Once Harry and Meghan got married, the gap between the brothers only widened. “

“William and Kate’s feelings seemed obvious to the Sussexes that summer and beyond. Of all the friends and family Harry and Meghan hosted at their Oxfordshire home between May 2018 and March 2019, the Cambridges did not visit, ”the excerpt read.

Excerpts from the book focused on the months of palace intrigue surrounding the decision to step down from senior royal duties. The couple surprised the royal household in January by going public with their plans to be more independent.

The couple wanted to be a part-time member of the royal family, but the idea collapsed during discussions with the family. In January, the Queen explained how the couple would step away from royal duties in March, at least for a while, but still remain a member of the royal family.

Harry is sixth in the line to the throne, behind his father, Prince Charles, his brother William and the three young children of William, George, Charlotte and Louis.

The couple moved to North America with their 14-month-old son Archie.

A new book on Prince Harry and Meghan claims to disclose new revelations about the couple and their decision to step back from royal life.

In “Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family,” veteran royal reporters and co-authors Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie describe how members of the royal family felt overshadowed and snubbed in the palace, this which ultimately led to their departure from the royal family.

Watch TODAY all day! Receive TODAY’s best news, information and inspiration, all day long.

A spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made it clear that Harry and Meghan have no involvement in the book.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘Finding Freedom‘,” the statement said. “This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the Royal Press and their own independent reporting.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stunned the world, including Queen Elizabeth II and other royals, with their decision to step down from royal life earlier this year. And while their public image portrays a smiling extended family, the book’s authors claim a different reality.

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Durand and Scobie say there was intense tension and jealousy between Prince William and his younger brother, which led to Harry and Meghan leaving. The book says that although the brothers’ relationship was already strained, it was made worse by Harry’s decision to leave royal life and William took the news harshly on his younger brother’s decision.

Prince William is said to have said to a friend: “I have put my arm around my brother our whole life and I can’t do it anymore; we are separate entities.

Three excerpts from the book, which will be released on August 11, have been published in the British newspaper The Times in London. Some of the more astonishing revelations include that Harry felt ‘unprotected’ by his family and disparaged within the palace walls for being ‘too sensitive and outspoken’ and that Meghan felt she had indulged in the royal family . “I have given my whole life for this family,” said the Duchess.

Related

In another excerpt from the book, a staff member from another royal household described the Sussex team as the palace’s “squeaky third wheel”. Harry and Meghan apparently felt offended by the Queen – their photos were conspicuously missing from her desk during her televised Christmas speech. And yet the door to royal life may not be completely closed to Harry and Meghan – the Queen has reportedly told Harry he can return to royal life whenever he wants.

As for the constant tabloid criticism, Durand and Scobie write that Meghan said it sounded like ‘the death of a thousand cuts’ (the line is also the name of a Taylor Swift song). Since moving away from the royal family, life under the microscope only seems to go on for the couple. On Thursday, they filed a lawsuit in California against a member of the paparazzi for illegally attempting to photograph their now 14-month-old son Archie.

AMAZON has slashed the price of Meghan and Harry’s highly anticipated book ahead of release.

Finding freedom, Harry and Meghan and the creation of a modern royal family has dropped from £ 20 to £ 13.60, the Daily Mail has revealed.

⚠️ Read our Meghan and Harry blog for the latest news on the royal couple.

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The book, due for release next month, will retrace the events leading up to the couple’s departure from the UK.

Journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have had access to more than 100 people for the book and sources say it will portray the Sussexes in a positive light.

It was revealed that the book would shatter the idea that the American actress is the driving force behind the couple – and instead it was Prince Harry who wanted to make the switch.

Scobie and Durand said in a press release: “Our mission was motivated by the desire to tell an accurate version of their journey and finally to present the truth of poorly reported stories that have become evangelical simply because of the number of times. where they were repeated.

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“It is through our sources that we were able to share the definitive story of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

A source told The Sun Online: “The book will explore how far Meghan and Harry have come to come to the conclusion that they have.

“It will clearly show that far from being an instant decision, they took a long time to make it.

“The seeds of Megxit were sown even before they were married. The truth is that Harry had been deeply unhappy for a long time.

“And he and Meghan openly discussed going in a different direction long before they got married.”

In other royal news, we revealed that the Queen loaned Beatrice her wedding dress for her big day.

And a body language expert claims the “self-diminishing” Beatrice “lowered her status” on her wedding day.

Additionally, Beatrice looked identical to her mother Sarah Ferguson on her wedding day in 1986.