March 17, 2026

Harry and Meghan hit back at Tom Bower book as new claims about royal tensions emerge

Harry and Meghan hit back at Tom Bower book as new claims about royal tensions emerge
Apple Podcasts podcast player badge
Amazon Music podcast player badge
Spotify podcast player badge
Castro podcast player badge
RSS Feed podcast player badge
Apple Podcasts podcast player iconAmazon Music podcast player iconSpotify podcast player iconCastro podcast player iconRSS Feed podcast player icon

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s spokesperson has issued a sharp response to new excerpts from Tom Bower’s upcoming book Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family. The couple’s team accused the author of promoting conspiracy theories, while royal insider Deep Crown notes that the criticism may only increase attention around the book.
The excerpts include claims about tensions between the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales, including an alleged heated exchange with Prince William shortly after Harry and Meghan’s honeymoon. The book also repeats claims that Queen Camilla privately believed Meghan had “brainwashed” Harry.

Meanwhile, the Invictus Games Foundation has pushed back against suggestions that the 2025 Games were overshadowed by the Sussexes.

And Meghan is reportedly frustrated after details of her upcoming $3,000 Sydney retreat appearance leaked before the official announcement, raising concerns inside her team about how private communications may have become public.

Get episodes of Palace Intrigue by becommming a paid subscriber on Apple Podcasts. Click the button that says uninterrupted listening.  Just $5 a month, and that includes many ofther shows on the Caloroga Shark network.

Royal Books:

William and Catherine: The Monarchy's New Era: The Inside Story

The Royal Insider: My Life with the Queen, the King and Princess Diana

WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:11.880
A callarogu shark media that low and welcome to Palace Intrigue.

2
00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:14.800
I am your host, Mark Francis, Prince Harry and Meghan

3
00:00:14.839 --> 00:00:18.280
Markle's spokesperson has issued a sharp response to a new

4
00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:23.120
royal book that makes controversial claims about the couple. The

5
00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:28.679
comments came after excerpts from author Tom Bower's upcoming book Betrayal, Power,

6
00:00:28.800 --> 00:00:30.960
Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal

7
00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:34.320
Family were published by The Times. In a statement to

8
00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:37.479
People magazine, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of

9
00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.520
Sussex criticized Bower's work and accused the author of promoting

10
00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:45.920
conspiracy theories about the couple. In a statement to People magazine,

11
00:00:45.960 --> 00:00:49.560
a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex criticized

12
00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:53.079
Bower's work and accused the author of promoting conspiracy theories

13
00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:57.560
about the couple. The spokesperson said, mister Bower's commentary has

14
00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:01.520
long crossed the line from criticism into fixation. This is

15
00:01:01.560 --> 00:01:04.680
someone who has publicly stated the monarchy in fact depends

16
00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:08.519
on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life.

17
00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.040
Language that speaks for itself he has made a career

18
00:01:12.079 --> 00:01:14.920
out of constructing even more elaborate theories about people he

19
00:01:14.959 --> 00:01:17.680
does not know and has never met. Those interested in

20
00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:22.319
facts will look elsewhere. Those seeking deranged, conspiracy and melodrama

21
00:01:22.439 --> 00:01:25.879
know exactly where to find him. Royl inside a Deep

22
00:01:25.879 --> 00:01:28.959
Crown observes, when you call a book deranged and tell

23
00:01:29.000 --> 00:01:31.799
people that those seeking conspiracy no where to find it,

24
00:01:31.879 --> 00:01:36.719
you have in effect produced rather effective advertising for it.

25
00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:40.280
Royal commentator Jenny Bond agrees, telling The Mirror it's rare

26
00:01:40.359 --> 00:01:42.280
these days to get any kind of response from Harry

27
00:01:42.319 --> 00:01:44.680
and Meghan. They prefer instead to ignore the noise and

28
00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:47.560
the gossip. But this time the pushback has been both

29
00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:52.760
swift and blistering. One excerpt suggests that Queen Camilla once

30
00:01:52.799 --> 00:01:55.280
told a friend that Meghan had brainwashed Harry, while other

31
00:01:55.359 --> 00:01:59.760
sections question aspects of the couple's media ventures and finances

32
00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.200
after their major streaming deals ended. Buckingham Palace decline to

33
00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:07.519
comment on the claims, maintaining its usual policy of not

34
00:02:07.560 --> 00:02:12.199
responding to biographies. The book also focuses on the Invictus Games,

35
00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:16.240
the international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick service

36
00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:20.080
personnel founded by Prince Harry in twenty fourteen. In the excerpt,

37
00:02:20.159 --> 00:02:22.879
Bao suggests that the twenty twenty five Invictus Games in

38
00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:27.680
Canada were overshadowed by attention on the Sussexes, particularly Megan's

39
00:02:27.719 --> 00:02:32.080
public appearances. That portrayal was strongly rejected by the Invictus

40
00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:36.360
Games Foundation. A spokesperson for the organization said, it is

41
00:02:36.400 --> 00:02:39.400
disappointing to see the Times give prominence to commentary that

42
00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.800
appears driven by a long established agenda rather than a

43
00:02:42.840 --> 00:02:46.599
genuine understanding of the Invictors schemes in the community. It supports,

44
00:02:47.319 --> 00:02:50.080
the focus should remain where it belongs, on the courage,

45
00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:54.439
recovery and camaraderie those who have served. Tom Bawer previously

46
00:02:54.439 --> 00:02:57.719
wrote the book Revenge in twenty twenty two, which also

47
00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.479
examined the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the departure

48
00:03:00.599 --> 00:03:05.319
from royal duties. Bower's book suggests that tensions between the

49
00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:09.000
Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales escalated during

50
00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:12.680
a meeting shortly after Harry and Meghan's honeymoon in twenty eighteen.

51
00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:16.000
According to Bauer, the couple met for what he describes

52
00:03:16.080 --> 00:03:21.719
as peace talks after disagreements had developed. Bower wrote William's

53
00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:24.280
dislike of Meghan had been obvious after his warning to

54
00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:27.680
Harry about their engagement. It's gone too quickly, Williams had

55
00:03:27.719 --> 00:03:31.000
said about the speed of Harry's relationship with the American actress.

56
00:03:31.520 --> 00:03:34.759
William's suspicion of Meghan was echoed by his wife. He

57
00:03:34.800 --> 00:03:38.639
also claims the conversation became heated, alleging Meghan responded to

58
00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:41.039
Prince William by saying, if you don't mind, get your

59
00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:44.520
finger out of my face. He wrote that Meghan allegedly

60
00:03:44.520 --> 00:03:49.800
compared Princess Charlotte unfavorably to Jessica Mulroney's daughter Ivy, another bridesmaid,

61
00:03:49.840 --> 00:03:53.439
which he says caused Catherine to burst into tears. Another

62
00:03:53.479 --> 00:03:56.520
claim from Bower's earlier book involves the late Queen Elizabeth

63
00:03:56.560 --> 00:03:58.960
and the funeral of Prince Philip in twenty twenty one.

64
00:03:59.719 --> 00:04:02.319
Meghan did not attend the funeral because she was pregnant

65
00:04:02.360 --> 00:04:05.280
with Princess Lilabert at the time. Harry traveled to the

66
00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:09.319
UK alone. Bauer claims that the late monarch expressed relief

67
00:04:09.319 --> 00:04:11.680
about Meghan's absence and wrote that she told an aid,

68
00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:15.719
Thank goodness, Meghan is not coming more palicy just a moment.

69
00:04:20.120 --> 00:04:23.639
Meghan is reportedly concerned after details of an upcoming appearance

70
00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:27.399
in Australia were leaked before the official announcement. The Duchess

71
00:04:27.399 --> 00:04:30.199
of Sussex is scheduled to travel to Sydney next month

72
00:04:30.199 --> 00:04:34.439
as the headline guest at her Best Life retreat, organized

73
00:04:34.439 --> 00:04:40.040
by radio personality Jackie O Henderson's Besties Company. However, news

74
00:04:40.079 --> 00:04:44.120
of Meghan's participation began circulating before the event was formally announced,

75
00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:48.560
reportedly after information from a private email was leaked. According

76
00:04:48.600 --> 00:04:52.519
to New Idea, the unexpected disclosure has left the Duchess

77
00:04:52.600 --> 00:04:56.839
uneasy about what other private information could potentially emerge. I

78
00:04:56.879 --> 00:04:59.160
saw as to all the publication. She was horrified when

79
00:04:59.199 --> 00:05:01.600
word got out head of the official announcement that she

80
00:05:01.680 --> 00:05:04.480
would be appearing at her women's retreat in Sydney. She

81
00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:06.920
likes to be in control and the chaotic announcement about

82
00:05:06.920 --> 00:05:10.399
her arrival was anything but polished. While a leak about

83
00:05:10.439 --> 00:05:12.920
the trip isn't the end of the world, Megan's losing sleep,

84
00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:16.759
what else could come out? The report claims the Duchess

85
00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:20.399
is particularly concerned about confidential communications with Netflix before the

86
00:05:20.399 --> 00:05:24.360
streaming company reportedly ended its relationship with her lifestyle brand.

87
00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:27.600
As Ever, according to the source, Megan is now trying

88
00:05:27.639 --> 00:05:30.399
to determine how the information was leaked and has tightened

89
00:05:30.439 --> 00:05:34.480
internal controls within her team. The source said she's on

90
00:05:34.480 --> 00:05:36.959
a mission to find out who leaked the information. It's

91
00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:41.480
made the working environment around her office very tense. Megan

92
00:05:41.560 --> 00:05:44.160
is expected to arrive in Austrated in mid April fourth

93
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:47.279
the retreat, which will take place at the Intercontinental Hotel

94
00:05:47.360 --> 00:05:51.879
in Kogie from April seventeen to nineteen. Tickets for the

95
00:05:51.879 --> 00:05:54.560
event are reported to cost around three thousand dollars, with

96
00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:57.399
guests attending a gala dinner that will include an on

97
00:05:57.519 --> 00:06:02.279
stage conversation with the Duchess of Sussex. VIP attendees will

98
00:06:02.279 --> 00:06:04.959
also receive a group photo with her in case my

99
00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:08.079
audio dropped out there, I said. Three thousand dollars and

100
00:06:08.160 --> 00:06:11.759
a group photo. During the same trip, Prince Harry is

101
00:06:11.759 --> 00:06:14.720
scheduled to appear in Melbourne at the inter Edge Summit,

102
00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:17.759
where he will speak about mental health in the workplace.

103
00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:20.439
Tickets for the two day event are reported to cost

104
00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:24.040
up to twenty four hundred dollars and there you have it.

105
00:06:24.439 --> 00:06:26.639
Cold like to email us addresses the Palace Intrigue at

106
00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:29.519
gmail dot com. Please follow us on Spotify, Apple or

107
00:06:29.560 --> 00:06:32.360
the app of your choice. I marked Francis my thanks

108
00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:38.480
to John McDermott. This is Palace Intrigue and good times.