The decision for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to step away from their royal duties and move to the United States was not driven solely by Meghan, as is commonly believed, says a new book by veteran royal reporter Robert Jobson. Instead, Prince Harry was the "driving force" behind the couple's departure, according to a senior palace aide cited in Jobson's book, Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed.
Scheduled for release on April 13, the book shares an advanced excerpt stating that King Charles was "deeply saddened" by the strained relationship with his youngest son and wished for more time with the Sussexes' children. In 2020, Harry and Meghan announced their withdrawal from royal duties, following discussions with King Charles, Queen Elizabeth II, and Prince William. They later settled in California and, in 2021, expressed their feelings of being unsupported by the royal family and institution during a high-profile interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Many commentators and social media users blamed Meghan for steering Harry away from Britain. However, the senior palace aide told Jobson that such blame is misplaced and downplays the prince's role in the decision. The aide said, "Some blame Meghan Markle for the fallout, ignoring the fact that Harry seems to be the driving force in everything that happened."
Since distancing themselves from the monarchy, the couple has participated in various interviews and media deals, sharing their grievances with the royal family, aides, and the British tabloid media. In response, high-profile critics like Piers Morgan have called for Harry and Meghan to be stripped of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. Jobson claims that such discussions have found support within royal circles and that the matter of revoking their titles has been "discussed" at the palace.
Jobson writes, "The King is said not to be in favor, but other senior Royals are less indulgent. Ultimately, despite Charles's enduring love for his son, he will come under increasing pressure if Harry continues to attack the monarchy."
The book also shares that Kate Middleton told a senior royal that participating in a walkabout with Harry and Meghan after Queen Elizabeth's death was among the "hardest things she had ever had to do." The two couples publicly reunited for the first time since the Sussexes' 2020 move to the U.S. to view floral tributes to the late queen in September 2022.
According to Jobson, "Catherine later admitted to a senior royal that, such was the ill feeling between the two couples, the joint walkabout was one of the hardest things she had ever had to do."
The royals and representatives for Harry and Meghan have not commented on the book or its contents. Newsweek reached out to Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, and representatives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for comment.
Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed by Robert Jobson will be published by John Blake in the United Kingdom on April 13.