Harry’s ticking 'time bomb' memoir. Meghan’s media grabs. And a $5 million tab for King
Charles to deal with?! It's a proper royal smackdown between the throne and Team Megxit.
"Guys, this is not gonna end well."
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left royal
life behind in January 2020, they reportedly did so without offering much warning to King Charles.
At the time, Charles had not yet taken the throne, but according to insiders for Us Weekly, he was
still furious about what he considered a rash and embarrassing move on Harry and Meghan's part.
Since the couple no longer wanted to be working royals, Charles thought it was a waste of
taxpayer money to fund their lifestyle in America. During the pair's infamous sit-down with Oprah,
Harry claimed that his family "cut him off financially" within the first few months
of 2020. He also alleged that Charles stopped taking his calls at one point.
"I had three conversations with my grandmother and two conversations with my father
before he stopped taking my calls."
But reports suggest that Charles' bark was worse than his bite. Instead of leaving Harry and
Meghan out to dry, the royal family reportedly spent millions on the couple in 2020 and 2021,
according to the BBC. And nearly three years later, thanks to lucrative Netflix and Spotify
deals, Harry and Meghan are reportedly financially independent from the crown.
Since getting married,
Harry's relationship with Charles has deteriorated. But according to insiders,
tension has been brewing long before Meghan ever appeared on the scene.
Much of Harry's resentment reportedly dates back to his early childhood and the death
of his mother, Princess Diana. Royal expert Ingrid Seward alleged that when Diana died,
Charles stepped up for his boys but never talked about their mother. Seward told the Irish Mirror,
"Don't let yourself think about your mum and the grief and the hurt that comes with it."
The relationship was only stressed further when Harry met Meghan. While
Seward claimed that Charles liked Meghan at first,
he soured at how she dominated Harry's life and alienated him from his family.
But according to an insider for the Daily Beast in 2018,
the iciness between Harry and Charles might be a little less personal. The source alleged,
Sources claim that Charles
has been "devastated" by his public falling out with Harry. And apparently he was hopeful that
he could patch things up with Harry and Meghan after Queen Elizabeth's death, per The Mirror.
Charles invited the couple to meet with mourners and even allowed Harry to wear
his dress uniform to the state visitation. Royal expert Katie Nicholl told Fox News,
"He loves his son. He's never stopped loving his
son. He may not be happy about everything that's been said."
Still, despite the alleged timeless bond, palace sources claim that the
relationship between father and son is as strained as ever — especially with Harry's
explosive memoir still set to be released. A friend of the family told the Daily Beast,
Despite the tabloid drama,
there have been brief moments of affection between Charles and Meghan. The day before her wedding in
2018, Meghan's own father, Thomas Markle, pulled out of the ceremony at the last minute, according
to People. Having asked Charles to step into the role, Harry noted via Entertainment Tonight,
Though Meghan's relationship with Charles grew more complicated as time went on,
her relationship with her own father has been nearly non-existent. Meghan and Thomas
reportedly have not spoken since he pulled out of the wedding, according to Insider.
"I hope I get to eventually sometimes see these grandchildren of mine."
They may not always see eye to eye, but Charles
reportedly respects his daughter-in-law. When she and Harry got engaged, Charles was well aware of
the level of scrutiny Meghan would face in the press. But as everyone soon realized, Meghan is
more than comfortable with a little attention. As Katie Nicholl wrote in her book, "The New Royals,"
Ironically, those characteristics would get Meghan in trouble with the rest of
her in-laws. According to Nicholl, Prince William and Kate noted these qualities too,
leading to competitiveness between the couples. Nicholl wrote,
Given all that has transpired in recent years, it's unclear whether Charles still refers to
Meghan with any affectionate nicknames, though it seems unlikely. And according to sources,
it's still unclear whether Charles will even invite the couple to his May 2023 coronation.
Insiders told The Daily Beast that much of the decision rests upon the contents of Harry's memoir
and just how flattering its portrayal of Charles and Camilla might — or might not — end up being.
"This book is gonna be a bombshell."
Due in early 2023, Harry's memoir has
already stirred up serious buzz. And royal expert Tom Bower assured Page Six that Charles sees the
book as nothing less than a so-called "time bomb." Originally set to be released in November 2022,
Bowers guessed that the delay was to enable Harry to add content about Queen Elizabeth's
funeral. Either way, Charles is reportedly keeping a close eye on the situation.
There is a fear among the royals that Harry will use the book as an opportunity to air
his grievances with Charles, as well as Camilla. As sources told The Daily Beast,
Many hoped that when Queen Elizabeth died,
tensions would ease between Harry and Charles. But in the hours before Elizabeth's death,
Charles reportedly barred Meghan from Balmoral, with a source telling The Sun,
While it may have seemed like a low blow, insiders insisted that it wasn't as targeted
as it seemed. Kate Middleton also did not make the trip to Scotland that day,
despite being on excellent terms with the family. And that was reportedly because
Charles thought final goodbyes should be limited to a very small number of Elizabeth's relatives.
Still, Meghan's absence and the way she and Harry handled the situation
do shed light on the continuing conflict within the family. Before Charles told
Harry that Meghan would not be allowed to see the Queen, the Sussex family released
a statement assuring the public they were both on their way to Scotland. Of course,
they later changed up their plans after chatting with Charles. A source alleged to Page Six,
Long before he ever met his future
American actress wife, moved to Los Angeles, and signed multimillion-dollar deals with Netflix and
Spotify, Harry had a solid reputation as a royal party boy. Going beyond the realm of typical
teenage rebellion, Harry's drinking and smoking allegedly reached a point of concern for Charles.
"He's DDG; Drop Dead Gorgeous."
It was during that time that Charles ordered his son to spend one day at a rehab clinic in the
hopes of scaring him straight, according to The Guardian. While the prince may have been humbled
by the experience, he reportedly still has mixed feelings about his dad's parenting techniques.
According to insiders, Harry sees his very brief stint in rehab as
less a demonstration of devotion on his dad's part and more of a clever
PR move by a future king. Harry reportedly felt like the sacrificial lamb in Charles'
quest for good publicity. As Penny Junor explained in her 2017 book, "The Duchess,"
The Windsor family tree can
be a tough one to follow. To outsiders, it might seem like a lot of fuss over nothing. After all,
the firstborn pretty much inherits the throne no matter what. But to the royals,
titles are deadly serious. And when Charles ascended the throne, Meghan and Harry's kids,
Archie and Lilibet, should have received the titles of Prince and Princess. According to
People, an old law states that the grandchildren of a monarch have always earned that status.
"When Harry's dad becomes king, automatically,
Archie and our next baby would become prince or princess."
But of course it didn't go down as smoothly as one might assume
it should have. During her 2021 Oprah interview, Meghan claimed that the royal
family had been actively against giving Archie a title despite his birthright.
Now that Charles is king, royal watchers have noted that Archie and Lilibet's titles have yet
to be updated. While it may be as simple as the King having more pressing matters at hand than
changing toddlers' official names, some say Charles won't make a move until he sees how
Harry and Meghan's upcoming projects play out in 2023. As Katie Nicholl told Vanity Fair,
Either way, the King's the king. And Harry will probably be fifth in line
to call the shots, … for the rest of his life.