Did Prince William's behaviour towards Meghan Markle cost him his relationship with Prince Harry?

MUMBAI : Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s new biographical book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Family claims that the Duke of Sussex was angered by what he perceived as his brother's "snobbish" attitude towards his bride. Authors Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie claim Harry was offended by William's unwanted advice to "take as much time as you need to get to know this girl". According to the pair, William was happy for his brother, but "just wanted to make sure that Harry wasn't blindsided by lust". But his younger brother allegedly took offence to the phrase "this girl", and interpreted it as "snobbish and condescending".

Excerpts from the book have been published in The Times this weekend ahead of its release next month and they make several shocking claims against the royal family’s treatment of Meghan Markle. According to the excerpts, the royals were less than welcoming and even had several demeaning names for Meghan, one senior royal allegedly referring to Meghan as "Harry's showgirl"--and another saying "she comes with a lot of baggage". Another senior courtier is said to have told a colleague: "There's just something about her I don't trust." Harry's belief that the palace was out to sabotage his relationship was the beginning of the rift with his brother. He is said to have felt "unprotected" by the institutions around the monarchy, and derided by the old guard for being "too sensitive and outspoken". One source said of Harry: "He's extremely protective of Meghan. "He understands that a lot of people are against them, and he will do everything he can to keep her safe and away from getting hurt - even if that means distancing himself from those people." 

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The Duchess of Cambridge apparently did little to bridge the divide and never really got to know Meghan. The book claims Meghan and Kate never spent much time together before the Sussexes tied the knot in May 2018 and they didn't get any closer afterwards. There were some "awkward moments", but there was never a falling out, the book adds. It says: "Meghan would agree with the assessment that the duchesses were not the best of friends. Their relationship hadn't progressed much since she was Harry's girlfriend. "But they were not at war with each other, either. There were awkward moments, such as the day the women happened to cross paths at Kensington Palace (in early 2017, when Harry and Meghan were still only dating), and although both were heading out to go shopping - in the same street - Kate went in her own Range Rover."

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Credits: Pinkvilla