Royal Family Revelations From Meghan Markle & Prince Harry’s Biography ‘Finding Freedom’
Published on August 11, 2020.The world has been enthralled with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship ever since rumors swirled that the pair were dating back in 2016. The attention and criticism the couple received were endless, which ultimately led to their decision this past January to take a step back from their senior royal roles.
Months after their unprecedented announcement, a new biography Finding Freedom was released which dives into the details of the challenges the couple faced in the royal limelight. The biography was written by longtime royal experts and correspondents Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie and used various inside sources to dive into some of the little-known facts about Meghan and Harry’s relationship and role in the royal family. Follow along as we roundup some of the most interesting revelations from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s biography Finding Freedom:
Harry had a secret Instagram account while he was dating Meghan
According to the book’s authors, Harry had a secret Instagram account with the handle @SpikeyMau5 while he was dating Meghan. The handle was inspired by one of his favorite DJs Deadmau5 and he reportedly used a mouse-shaped helmet as his profile picture. “His messages were often short and full of emojis, in particular the ghost emoji, which he often used instead of a smiley face,” the book reads. “For what reason? Nobody knows. But Meghan found his texting etiquette funny and adorable, just like the prince.”
Photo by Tim Rooke/REX/ShutterstockMeghan’s “H” necklace caused a moment of realization for her
The palace wasn’t impressed when Meghan was spotted wearing an “H” initial necklace in December 2016. “She was advised that wearing such a necklace only served to encourage the photographers to keep pursuing such images — and new headlines,” the book states, claiming that “the surreal experience of having someone from her boyfriend’s office tell her what kind of jewelry to wear or not to smile at a photographer was too much.” Meghan told her friends she felt like she couldn’t win after the royal etiquette conversation.
The Queen was fond of Meghan during their first meeting
The Queen took a liking to Meghan after her first time meeting with her. Meghan first met the Queen over a 5 pm tea. According to the book, “The inner sanctum of the Queen’s private apartment was not at all what Meghan expected. Not that she really knew what to expect … Meghan knew she needed to curtsy and had practiced a dozen times before that day.”
According to the authors, Queen Elizabeth was impressed with Meghan. “The Queen had a level of confidence in Meghan, because as a Palace source shared, she handles these situations flawlessly because she’s always well prepared and respectful.’”
Press AssociationPrincess Eugenie wasn’t impressed with Meghan and Harry’s pregnancy announcement
Princess Eugenie wasn’t impressed with Meghan and Harry’s pregnancy announcement and felt it was disrespectful to share the news so close to her wedding. Meghan and Harry announced Meghan was pregnant on October 15, which was just three days after Meghan sparked bump speculation at Princess Eugenie’s wedding.
According to the book, the timing of the announcement ”didn’t go down particularly well with Eugenie” as she told friends the couple should have held off a little longer to share the news.
Pippa Middleton didn’t want to invite Meghan and Harry to her wedding
Pippa Middleton sent a reluctant invite to Meghan and Harry to attend her May 2017 wedding. “Both the bride and her mom, Carole, privately harbored concerns that the American actress’s presence alongside Harry might overshadow the main event,” the book claims. After news broke that Meghan was set to attend, Harry and Meghan decided she shouldn’t go to the church, but she did attend the reception.
Press AssociationPrince Harry and Meghan Markle cut Archie’s night nurse during her second shift
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle weren’t impressed with their first night nurse and decided to cut ties with her after her second shift for being “unprofessional.” The couple also had trouble feeling comfortable with their next night nurse and decided to ultimately take on the role themselves. “After a few weeks, they decided to take on nights themselves and went without a night nurse entirely,” the book reads.
Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle had an awkward relationship
The relationship between Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle has been a hotly debated subject, but according to Finding Freedom, the truth is the duo just didn’t know each other that well and had little in common. The book claims that they “struggled to move past the distant politeness of when they first met.”
“The truth was Meghan and Kate just didn’t know each other that well … Though it was not necessarily her responsibility, Kate did little to bridge the divide,” the book reads noting the women had little in common “other than the fact that they lived at Kensington Palace.” The book also claims Kate once left Meghan to shop alone during an outing to the same street in London.
EPA/STR UK AND IRELAND OUT SHUTTERSTOCK OUTThe racial injustice against Meghan played a large role
Meghan and Harry’s mixed-race relationship caused quite a bit of controversy within the U.K. and the royal family. While Princess Diana and Kate Middleton faced challenges when joining the royal family, the type of hate that Meghan was subject to was starkly different. She was dragged through the tabloids and associated with words like “bossy” and “difficult” without merit and was always considered an outsider, despite being part of the royal family for two years.
Prince Harry began to speak out in defense of his wife and calling out the societal prejudice against her. “Harry’s journey to wokeness has been very public,” writer Scobie said in a recent interview with NPR. “We’ve seen him learning and educating himself along the way, but this experience of witnessing Meghan face racist remarks and commentary would have been the first time he’d seen someone in his life or someone he was particularly close to affected by it in a certain way.”
Commonwealth Day was very stressful for the entire royal family
Another revelation from the book surrounds the internal relationships and dynamics within Meghan and Harry’s final royal appearances. Through official statements it seemed as if Queen Elizabeth and the royal family were in support of Meghan and Harry, however, behind closed doors, this wasn’t entirely the case.
Commonwealth Day was a significant moment in time for the royal family and according to the biography, Meghan was left “emotionally bruised and exhausted” after the event because her sister-in-law Kate wouldn’t even acknowledge her. The book claims, “While Harry and Meghan both greeted William and Kate with smiles, the Cambridges showed little response. It was the first time the two couples had seen each other since January. ‘Harry,’ William nodded, ignoring Meghan.”
“For the minutes before the Queen’s arrival, William and Kate sat with their backs to the couple, only turning around to chat with Prince Edward and [his wife] Sophie, next to the Sussexes. Although Meghan tried to make eye contact with Kate, the duchess barely acknowledged her.”
(Phil Harris/Pool via AP, file)Prince William and Prince Harry’s relationship has been strained
Aside from Kate and Meghan’s relationship, Prince William and Prince Harry’s close relationship has also been strained in recent years. The root of their issues began when Prince William suggested that Harry and Meghan should take more time to get to know each other before going public. According to Finding Freedom, Harry was “pissed off” when William reached out to make sure that his brother “wasn’t blindsided by lust” when he first started seeing Meghan. William told Harry to “take as much time as you need to get to know this girl,” which didn’t sit well with Harry. By the summer of 2017, Harry’s visits with William, Kate, and their kids “had come to a virtual halt.”
Meghan was willing to do whatever it took to stay a part of the royal family
Meghan was reportedly willing to do “whatever it takes” to make their roles within the royal family work, but Harry decided they were done. “I don’t need to have that movie moment where we get out of a car and wave to a hundred photographers before going into a building,” Scobie and Durand claim the prince told a friend. “It should just be about the work happening inside. Let’s focus on what really matters.”
“I gave up my entire life for this family,” Meghan told a friend in March according to Finding Freedom. “I was willing to do whatever it takes. But here we are. It’s very sad.”
Press AssociationThe Royal Family is working on rebuilding relationships
Obie and Durand left things on a bright note, however, and shared that the royal family is working on slowly rebuilding their relationships despite Meghan, Harry and Archie’s move to LA. The couple reached a mutually satisfying agreement with the Queen that allows them to live as private citizens on a trial basis for a year.
The royal family’s experience with the ongoing global pandemic also helped to bring their relationships closer, especially after Prince Charles had tested positive. The news forced Harry and William to reconnect and strengthened the family’s resolve to remain on good terms.
“Like in any family, there have been some ups and downs,” Durand told TODAY. “But the brothers are making their way back to each other, and that will take some time.”
Shop Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family below:
