Beef royal without end. Employees describe Meghan as a “narcissistic sociopath”.

The peace lasted only a short time after the mourning of the queen. Grandson Harry and his wife Meghan have returned to the United States or British newspapers are full of the couple’s alleged missteps.

Duchess Meghan and her husband, Prince Harry, are used to accusations from the British press. But such a broad side was rare. The tabloids aren’t the only ones happily spreading a host of accusations against the couple, which are made in two new books about the inner workings of the palace.

The Queen was “hurt and exhausted” by Meghan and Harry’s decision to end their royal life, it said. Or that Meghan wanted to be rejected by the royal family from day one – and therefore didn’t accept any help.

As soon as national mourning for the late queen is over and the couple has returned to their adopted home in the US, poison darts fly across the Atlantic. The shared grief over the death of Queen Elizabeth II, which visibly shook grandson Harry, raised hopes of reconciliation.

“When actions speak louder than words”

So said the new king Charles III. in his first address to the nation of his “love for Harry and Meghan (…) who continue to build lives overseas.” The Duke of Sussex, as Harry’s official title is, walked behind the coffin with his estranged brother, Prince William. Together with their wives, the brothers looked at the flowers presented by the mourners in demonstrative unity in front of Windsor Castle.

But looks can be deceiving. “When actions speak louder than words,” Royals expert Peter Hunt commented during the mourning period on a report that Meghan and Harry had been dropped off from the reception for heads of state and government arriving at Buckingham Palace for the state funeral. When the Queen was still dying, Charles reportedly instructed his son to travel with the family to Scotland without Meghan.

It was also irritating in circles that criticize the royal house that Harry, of all people, unlike father Charles and brother William, is not allowed to participate in the mourning ceremonies in uniform – because he is no longer an active member of the royal family. Harry served in the army for ten years, served twice in Afghanistan and was promoted to captain.

Personal allegations against Harry

In the conservative press, on the other hand, personal allegations against the 38-year-old are widespread. Harry was “just as absent” as Meghan and wrote “vile” emails to senior staff, The Sun quoted from the new book by former Royals reporter for The Times, Valentine Low. The Sunday Times printed page-long extracts from Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown.

There, Low repeatedly emphasizes how rude Meghan and Harry would have been to employees. They in turn would have condemned the duchess as a “narcissistic sociopath”. Meghan reportedly moaned on a trip to Australia, Fiji and Samoa in 2018: “I can’t believe I’m not getting paid for this.” The servants are said to have referred to themselves as the “Sussex Survivors’ Club” – as those who survived the Sussexes.

Meghan Markle had to listen to harsh criticism for her recent interview with “The Cut”.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are happy that Archie is going to school in the US.

Prince George, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Duchess Catherine stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Your children may be filmed by two cameras when they start school – but not after.

In the interview, Meghan apparently makes comparisons with the freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, who his grandson cannot stand.

Meghan Markle had to listen to harsh criticism for her recent interview with “The Cut”.

Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are happy that Archie is going to school in the US.

Prince George, Prince William, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis and Duchess Catherine stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. Your children may be filmed by two cameras when they start school – but not after.

In the interview, Meghan apparently makes comparisons with the freedom fighter Nelson Mandela, who his grandson cannot stand.

Sharp attacks are expected from Harry

Low’s fierce claims and another book by royal expert Katie Nicholl – The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown – show how much the crisis continues within the inner circle of the royal family. The fact that the conservative press, which has been sharply criticized by Harry for years, is so fond of spreading the allegations against the Queen’s grandson could be a kind of forward defense.

Harry’s memoir, which he announced for this year, is expected soon. New sharp attacks against the palace are feared in London, as the couple has repeatedly raised since the explosive interview with American presenter Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. The “Mail on Sunday”, with which Harry has had several legal skirmishes, has now reported that the Duke of Sussex is trying to make changes at lightning speed. After the death of the queen and his father’s assumption of office, he wanted to adopt a more soothing tone. “But it may be too late,” the tabloid quoted an insider as saying.

A first draft of the book has already been read and approved by Penguin Random House. The spicy memoir will be published at the end of the year, and the publisher is hoping for a box office hit. Prince Harry was paid around 20 million francs in advance and he will receive the same amount again after the publication.

By Benedict von Imhoff, dpa