Meghan Markle news latest: Prince Harry & Duchess are ‘proud of decision to leave Royal Family’ and ‘have no regrets’
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have no regrets about leaving the Royal Family and stand behind their decisions, a close friend claims.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made bombshell claims in a sensational Oprah Winfrey interview - after quitting the Royal Family and moving to the US.
However according to a new version of the book Finding Freedom by Meghan Markle's friend Omid Scobie, the pair have "no regrets" about their decisions.
In the updated chapter of the new edition of the book, Scobie and co author Caroline Durand write: "As difficult as recent years have been, sources close to the Sussexes say that neither Harry nor Meghan have any regrets about the decisions they have made.
"[These accomplishments are] another sign that [Meghan and Harry] had made the right decision to step back from royal roles, not only for their family but for their focus on social issues and helping the world."
Read our Meghan Markle live blog for the latest updates...
HARRY COMPARED TO EDWARD VIII AFTER HE FADED OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW – AND WROTE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Bullen listed some of the similarities between Harry and Edward.
Edward, who abdicated in 1936 to marry American divorcee and socialite Wallis, wrote a ghost-written autobiography after he was cut off with no source of income.
Book A King’s Story: Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor was published in 1951, and included detail about the royal split and his relationship with Wallis.
Harry is currently writing his own memoirs after signing a £29million four-book mega-deal.
KARREN BRADY SAYS PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN’S BOOK IS TURNING INTO GAME OF THORNS
Sun Exclusive comment by Baroness Brady
JUST when you think things have gone quiet with Harry, Meghan and their quest to find freedom, there comes another dramatic plot twist.
The latest is the news that another chapter has been added to their book Finding Freedom.
Among the new “revelations” is the claim that some members of the Royal Family were “quietly pleased” the Duchess of Sussex missed Prince Philip’s funeral because they feared that she would “create a spectacle” if she attended.
Plus, there is news that Harry and his father Charles are only on “light speaking terms”.
Neither of which are particularly surprising.
DIANA MEMORIAL STATUE OPENS TO THE PUBLIC FROM TODAY
THE new statue of Princess Diana will be specially opened to the public to mark the anniversary of her death today.
Tuesday will mark 24 years since the fatal car crash in Paris on August 31, 1997. Owing to the pandemic, Kensington Palace and its gardens are operating reduced opening hours from Wednesdays to Sundays only.
But Historic Royal Palaces said special arrangements had been made to allow visitors to view the memorial from the Cradle Walk around the Sunken Garden where it stands from 3pm to 5pm on Tuesday.
The bronze statue was unveiled by Princes William and Harry, despite their troubled relationship, last month on what would have been their mother’s 60th birthday.
A spokesman for HRP said of Tuesday’s special anniversary opening: “We acknowledge that there will be interest in viewing the statue on that day.”
Diana fans will be able to visit the statue unveiled by Princes William and Harry, despite their troubled relationship, last monthCredit: PA
WHEN IS THE PAPERBACK EDITION OF FINDING FREEDOM OUT?
The paperback version of the Finding Freedom biography will be released on August 31.
The release date coincides with the anniversary of Princess Diana’s death.
HARRY & MEGHAN TO RETURN TO PUBLIC AFTER ‘KEEPING TOXICITY AWAY’, SAYS OMID SCOBIE
Author and journalist Omid Scobie confirmed the pair will return to public life after “keeping toxicity away”.
“They’re a couple who do very well in those moments of human interaction. They need to be on the ground.
“They say that the proof is in the pudding, and what we are about to see is that pudding.
“They seem to be existing in a different place, and that place is much healthier. Meghan famously spoke about that it was not enough to survive — we are now in the thrive chapter.”
FINDING FREEDOM: WHAT HAS CHANGED IN THE NEW EDITION OF HARRY & MEGHAN'S BIOGRAPHY?
The authors have updated the book with a new chapter, promising a host of revelations since it was first published last summer.
As well as Harry and Meghan’s reaction to Philip's death, publisher HarperCollins said the new edition will share "behind the scenes" details of the Oprah interview as well as their move to California.
It will also recount "Meghan's emotional healing journey from losing a child to the birth of their daughter".
Finding Freedom already chronicles the Duke and Duchess's romance and brief period as members of the monarchy before they broke away to forge a new life for themselves and son Archie in America.
Scobie, a journalist favoured by the Sussexes, said of the first edition that the couple "did not authorise the book and have never been interviewed for it".
MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY ‘PROUD’ OF THEIR NEW LIFE IN AMERICA
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry are said to be proud of their new life in America despite a "difficult" few years.
In a new epilogue of the book Finding Freedom, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are reported to have no regrets about their decision to quit royal life.
The Royal Family was hurled into crisis mode when the couple quit the Firm last year and the Queen was forced to publicly respond to claims made in their bombshell Oprah interview.
reports that in an updated chapter of Finding Freedom, authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand say "as difficult as recent years have been, neither Harry nor Meghan have any regrets about the decisions they have made".
PRINCE CHARLES WAS ‘ALWAYS CLOSER’ TO HARRY THAN WILLIAM, SAYS EXPERT
A royal expert has claimed that Prince Charles is particularly devastated about the feud with his youngest son, which was sparked in earnest by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah interview in March.
Speaking on the , author Robert Jobson explained that the Queen’s son, 72, has had a difficult time coming to terms with his 36-year-old second child’s move to the US and his public criticism of the royals.
The royal commentator, who co-wrote the 2002 book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret, said: “I think that he was closer to Harry and that’s why it’s hit him quite hard with what’s happened with Harry.”
Jobson made the comment while discussing the late King George VI’s relationship with his youngest child, Princess Margaret.
Referring to the Queen’s father, he said: “He had a deep affection for both his daughters and protected them, but he had a trust in the Queen – Princess Elizabeth – he felt that she was a solid character.”
Read more here.
HARRY'S REUNION WITH QUEEN (CONTINUED...)
The revelation comes in an updated version of their book ‘Finding Freedom’ which details Harry and Meghan’s rift with the Royal family and their move to California.
“To see each other after so long apart, the longest he hadn't seen the Queen for, was very special,” a source told authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, Town and Country reports.
They said: “Despite everything that has happened, he has the utmost love and respect for her. Her life of duty and service is one of the many ways in which she has inspired him to also serve.”
In the wake of the Oprah interviews, Harry was accused of hitting the "nuclear button" by insiders while his brother the Duke of Cambridge said the Royal Family was “very much not racist”.
The Duke of Sussex released a poignant tribute to his grandfather following his death, calling him a "master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right till the end".
PRINCE HARRY'S 'VERY SPECIAL' REUNION WITH QUEEN AT PRINCE PHILIP'S FUNERAL
PRINCE Harry had a “very special” reunion with the Queen at Prince Philip’s funeral despite the backlash over his Oprah interview, a new book has revealed.
The Duke of Sussex travelled to funeral without his wife Meghan Markle, who was heavily pregnant with daughter Lilibet and advised not to fly from their home in California.
In the bombshell interview with the US talk show queen, the Duchess of Sussex made allegations a member of the Royal family asked what colour their baby would be.
She also claimed her mental health issues were ignored but the interview reportedly caused dismay in the Royal family with the Queen issuing a statement that said “recollections may vary”.
But according to Harry and Meghan’s biographers, royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the Duke of Sussex spent “precious moments' with the Queen.
HARRY COMPARED TO EDWARD VIII AFTER HE FADED OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW – AND WROTE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Bullen listed some of the similarities between Harry and Edward.
Edward, who abdicated in 1936 to marry American divorcee and socialite Wallis, wrote a ghost-written autobiography after he was cut off with no source of income.
Book A King’s Story: Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor was published in 1951, and included detail about the royal split and his relationship with Wallis.
Harry is currently writing his own memoirs after signing a £29million four-book mega-deal.
PRINCE ANDREW STILL A PERSON OF INTEREST IN US EPSTEIN PROBE
Andrew, 61, has resisted approaches to cooperate with a criminal investigation into dead billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators.
US prosecutors — who are unravelling Epstein’s sprawling underage sex trafficking operation — accused Andrew of “zero cooperation” last year.
News agency Reuters reported earlier this month that Andrew was a “person of interest” in the Epstein probe — led by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. He is being considered “at least” a witness.
As part of their investigation, Epstein’s alleged madam, Brit socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, 59, has been charged with procuring girls for her former lover.
The Duke also faces a civil lawsuit from sex slave Virginia Giuffre in the US, over allegations he sexually assaulted her. He has vehemently denied the claims in the past.
MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY WILL NEVER BE ‘POPULAR’ WITH THEIR ‘ENDLESS MOANING AND SELF-PITY’
Angela Levin, who wrote Harry: Conversations with the Prince, made the comments after a poll showed that public opinion of the Sussexes had plummeted.
Data taken from YouGov surveys show that the couple tumbled in the opinion polls straight after they swapped England for the US.
It fell even further after Meghan and Harry spoke to Oprah Winfrey in their bombshell television interview.
The Duke of Sussex alone has dropped 50 points in his U.K. approval rating – compared to the 81 percent satisfaction rate Brits gave him when he became engaged to Meghan.
Levin wrote of the news on Twitter saying: “Moaning endlessly along with self pity when you live in a home with 16 bathrooms isn’t going to make you popular.”
It comes after the couple considered naming the royal who voiced concerns about their son Archie’s skin colour, it is claimed.
QUEEN’S HELICOPTER GROUNDED DURING IN-FLIGHT EMERGENCY ON ITS WAY TO PICK UP PRINCESS ANNE
THE Queen’s helicopter was grounded during an in-flight emergency on its way to pick up Princess Anne.
The £5million Sikorsky S-76 suffered a technical fault minutes into the flight on Wednesday.
Pilots aborted their 200-mile trip to Balmoral and returned to Newcastle Airport where mechanics were still repairing the fault 24 hours later.
The executive twin-engined aircraft was heading to the estate in the Scottish Highlands, where the Queen is on holiday, to collect Anne, 71.
An insider said: “A safety-first approach was taken and it was flown back immediately for the technical fault to be fixed. There were no members of the Royal Family on the helicopter. Luckily, there was plenty of time to find alternative travel arrangements.”
HARRY AND MEGHAN NEIGHBOURS COMPLAIN ABOUT STINK FROM A GIANT CANNABIS FARM CLOSE TO THEIR £11M MANSION
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s rich neighbours have been suffering from a royal stink – a huge cannabis factory.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been living just minutes from a legal weed factory base in Santa Barbara, California.
The couple’s £11million mansion is just up the road from the 20 large greenhouses full of the plants – leaving the luxury suburb reeking.
Neighbours have now made a string of complaints, sparking the company to install new “odour control systems.”
One resident complained that the stench was so bad that they had to pull over while driving along the road. The factory is less than a 10-minute drive from the Montecito mansion where the couple live with son Archie, two, and two month-old daughter Lilibet.
BRITAIN UNDER PRESSURE FROM US TO HAND OVER PRINCE ANDREW FOR QUESTIONING OVER SEX ABUSE CLAIMS
BRITAIN faces increased pressure from the US to hand over Prince Andrew for questioning over sex abuse claims.
President Biden’s office made a rare statement amid claims of frustration over the Duke of York’s stonewalling.
Officials want the UK to reaffirm its “close and resilient” evidence-sharing relationship. The Department of Justice sent a mutual legal assistance request to the Home Office last year to try to force Andrew’s cooperation.
Following enquiries about the Duke, a US government official said: “The US and the UK have a close, productive and resilient law enforcement and mutual legal assistance relationship.
“We remain in close contact on many active cases on a daily basis and will continue to seek assistance in criminal matters as we provide similar assistance in return.”
PRINCE HARRY HAD ‘VERY SPECIAL’ REUNION WITH QUEEN JUST WEEKS AFTER BOMBSHELL OPRAH INTERVIEW, BOOK REVEALS
The Duke of Sussex travelled to funeral without his wife Meghan Markle, who was heavily pregnant with daughter Lilibet and advised not to fly from their home in California.
In the bombshell interview with US talk show queen, the Duchess of Sussex made allegations a member of the Royal family asked what colour their baby would be.
She also claimed her mental health issues were ignored but the interview reportedly caused dismay in the Royal family with the Queen issuing a statement that said “recollections may vary”.
But according to Harry and Meghan’s biographers, royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the Duke of Sussex spent “precious moments' with the Queen.
The revelation comes in an updated version of their book ‘Finding Freedom’ which details Harry and Meghan’s rift with the Royal family and their move to California.
“To see each other after so long apart, the longest he hadn't seen the Queen for, was very special,” a source told authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, Town and Country reports.
PRINCE CHARLES WAS ‘ALWAYS CLOSER’ TO HARRY THAN WILLIAM SO HAS BEEN DEVASTATED BY THEIR ROYAL FEUD, EXPERT CLAIMS
A royal expert has claimed that Prince Charles is particularly devastated about the feud with his youngest son, which was sparked in earnest by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Oprah interview in March.
Speaking on the , author Robert Jobson explained that the Queen’s son, 72, has had a difficult time coming to terms with his 36-year-old second child’s move to the US and his public criticism of the royals.
The royal commentator, who co-wrote the 2002 book Diana: Closely Guarded Secret, said: “I think that he was closer to Harry and that’s why it’s hit him quite hard with what’s happened with Harry.”
Jobson made the comment while discussing the late King George VI’s relationship with his youngest child, Princess Margaret.
Referring to the Queen’s father, he said: “He had a deep affection for both his daughters and protected them, but he had a trust in the Queen – Princess Elizabeth – he felt that she was a solid character.”
Read more here.
TOUCHING PICTURE OF ONE OF PRINCE PHILIP’S FINAL MOMENTS JOINS MEGHAN AND HARRY’S LAST ENGAGEMENT IN PHOTO EXHIBITION
A touching picture of Prince Philip taken in the months before his death appears alongside Meghan and Harry’s rain-soaked last UK engagement in a new photo exhibition.
The prestigious BPPA Exhibition shines a spotlight on sports, entertainment, politics and protests, through to royals, celebrities, and global events.
PRINCE WILLIAM AND KATE MIDDLETON ‘EYE UP SURPRISE MOVE TO A NEW MANSION’ AHEAD OF ‘MAJOR CHANGES IN MONARCHY’
PRINCE William and Kate Middleton are reportedly “seriously considering” relocating from their Anmer Hall home.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are hoping to move closer to the Queen, hinting that they are planning to take on more senior roles within the royal family.
Wills, 39, and Kate, 39, are understood to have been “eyeing up” a move to Windsor, and considering areas suitable for bringing up their three kids.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte both currently attend St Thomas’s Prep School in Battersea, South West London.
Their parents are thinking about moving to Fort Belvedere, a Grade II listed house with a tower towards the southern end of Windsor Great Park, where King Edward VIII signed his abdication papers in 1936.
HARRY COMPARED TO EDWARD VIII AFTER HE FADED OUT OF PUBLIC VIEW – AND WROTE AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
In an interview with Fox News, Mr Bullen listed some of the similarities between Harry and Edward.
Edward, who abdicated in 1936 to marry American divorcee and socialite Wallis, wrote a ghost-written autobiography after he was cut off with no source of income.
Book A King’s Story: Memoirs of the Duke of Windsor was published in 1951, and included detail about the royal split and his relationship with Wallis.
Harry is currently writing his own memoirs after signing a £29million four-book mega-deal.
PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN’S BOOK IS TURNING INTO GAME OF THORNS SAYS KARREN BRADY
Sun Exclusive comment by Baroness Brady
JUST when you think things have gone quiet with Harry, Meghan and their quest to find freedom, there comes another dramatic plot twist.
The latest is the news that another chapter has been added to their book Finding Freedom.
Among the new “revelations” is the claim that some members of the Royal Family were “quietly pleased” the Duchess of Sussex missed Prince Philip’s funeral because they feared that she would “create a spectacle” if she attended.
Plus, there is news that Harry and his father Charles are only on “light speaking terms”.
Neither of which are particularly surprising.
WHAT IS RUMOURED TO BE IN PRINCE HARRY’S BOOK SO FAR?
Revelations said to be in the chapter of Prince Harry’s memoirs include:
- The royals were ‘quietly pleased’ Meghan was unable to attend Prince Philip’s funeral
- The brothers were heartbroken after the death of their grandfather
- William was ‘furious’ about the Oprah interview
- Harry’s Remembrance Sunday wreath was left in a box because he was ‘no longer a frontline royal’
- Meghan believes the Palace ‘tried to discredit’ her amid accusations over bullying
WHO IS PRINCESS ALEXANDRA, THE HONOURABLE LADY OGILVY?
Princess Alexandra is the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II and one of the few remaining royals to attend the Queens wedding to the late Prince Phillip.
The honourable lady Ogilvy was born in London on Christmas Day, 1936.
She is the second child and only daughter of Prince George (Son of King George VI, the Queen's father) and Princess Marina of Greece, the late Duke and Duchess of Kent.
Her brothers are the Duke of Kent and Prince Michael of Kent.
At age 11, rather than being home schooled, Alexandra became the first British princess to attend regular school.
The Princess went to Heathfield School, a boarding school near Ascot. She later studied in Paris.
THE ‘MESSY’ THING WHICH PRINCE WILLIAM DOES WHICH DRIVES KATE MAD
Stepping out in Cyprus in 2018 to open a new military recreation centre, Wills cracked a joke about one of his habits which drives Kate mad.
According to , the Duke of Cambridge was admiring the centre's new yellow sofas when he was reminded of Kate's household hang-up.
Joking with the servicemen and women, William teased: "Keep the pizzas off the sofas!"
And overhearing her husband's quip from across the room, Kate playfully replied: "You're a nightmare with that!"
