What Prince Harry Reportedly Did For Meghan Markle Without Ever Telling The Royals

When looking back at his reasons for stepping back from the royal family alongside his wife Meghan Markle, Prince Harry revealed to Oprah Winfrey that the press intrusion from the British tabloids simply was too much to bear. And, even worse, there was no support from The Firm. As Marie Claire reported at the time of the now infamous interview, the Duke of Sussex lamented the fact that, despite the U.K. being his home, he was forced to leave as he feared Meghan's fate might resemble his mother's. 

"I asked for calm from the British tabloids. Once as a boyfriend, once as a husband, and once as a father," the prince recalled. The fact that the other royals wouldn't help made the situation untenable. As Winfrey opined, "If you'd had the support, you would still be there," to which Harry responded, "Without question." Despite all the sympathy the Sussexes received from the interview, a new Meghan and Harry biography promises to expose their secrets. 

In fact, one of the most disparaging claims made by Tom Bower in "Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors," surrounds the Duchess of Sussex's alleged desire to be seen as a counterpart to Diana. Page Six reports their then communications secretary, Jason Knauf, was instructed to release a statement condemning the press for mistreating Meghan, while also slyly referencing the Diana comparison.

"Harry dictated the sentiments for Knauf to fashion into a statement. Committing Knauf to a conundrum, Meghan demanded that the statement should reflect the parallel between her potential fate and Diana's," Bower wrote. 

As it turns out, Bower asserts there was something else notable that Harry did for Meghan without considering his family's feelings first.

Considering he was willing to leave royal life behind to protect her, it's not terribly surprising that Prince Harry took another major step to keep Meghan Markle safe. Or, as far as royal biographer Tom Bower is concerned, to "please her." Newsweek reports that, in his incendiary new book, "Revenge," Bower pushes the idea that Harry was led astray by Meghan, from ditching his friends because she didn't approve of them to changing his cellphone number without telling the rest of his family.

The infamous writer points to a 2019 interview, during which Harry admitted he and his brother, Prince William, had grown apart. "William's original fear was materializing," Bower notes. "Meghan had become a divisive agent." He goes on to detail the lengths the Duke of Sussex went to, to keep his wife happy, which led to a further fracturing of the brothers' relationship. As for Harry's friends, Bower told Piers Morgan (via The Sun) that she disapproved of them making inappropriate jokes and frequently called them out for it, too, which led the duke to distance himself accordingly. 

Per Express, at the Sussexes' final, official appearance as working royals at the 2020 Commonwealth Day service, the atmosphere was incredibly frosty, solidifying just how strained things had become. Bower lays the blame at Meghan's feet, claiming she had issues with Catherine Middleton and resented how beloved her sister-in-law was by the British public.

Tom Bower's new book provides surprising details about Meghan Markle's first marriage. It also brings further attention to the Duchess of Sussex's contentious relationship with Catherine Middleton. One of the most infamous events in their shared history is revisited in "Revenge," with the Daily Mail noting that, actually, it was Meghan who made Kate cry during dress fittings for her 2018 wedding. 

Among other things, Meghan "unfavorably" compared Kate's daughter to the daughter of one of Meghan's best friends, while the two women also disagreed over skirt lengths and whether the bridesmaids should wear tights on the day. Likewise, per Insider, Meghan didn't feel "adequately welcomed" by Kate, with Bower writing that the Duchess of Sussex saw her as "an adversary who had to be reckoned with." Kate didn't respond well to her approach. 

It's worth noting that, during the Oprah Winfrey interview, Meghan made it clear it was Kate who made her cry in the run-up to the wedding, not the other way around. "And I don't say that to be disparaging to anyone, because it was a really hard week of the wedding, and she was upset about something. But she owned it, and she apologized, and she brought me flowers and a note apologizing," the former actor explained. 

"Revenge" is therefore reigniting a feud long believed to be buried between the two women. As a result, The Guardian labelled the book "a hit job."