Royal Aides ‘Joked’ Prince Harry Was Meghan Markle’s ‘Hostage’

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Officials ‘joked’ Harry was Meghan’s ‘hostage’

Senior palace aides once “joked” that Prince Harry was a “hostage” of Meghan Markle, and discussions were held “at the highest level” of stripping Harry of his Duke of Sussex title, according to royal chronicler Robert Jobson.

Jobson, in his new book Our King—extracted in the Daily Mail—also says jokes were made about Harry being “a victim of Stockholm syndrome,” and blame placed on Meghan for the “fallout” with the royals. This was before “most” of these officials changed their minds—now reportedly believing Harry was the “driving force in everything that happened,” who “turned his back on everything he has known.” Some want him demoted to “Mr. Mountbatten-Windsor of Montecito,” which still sounds pretty darn fancy and not much of a punishment, knowing how much Americans dig posh Brits, and posh Brits with double-barreled names most of all.

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A senior aide told Jobson of Harry’s rift with the family: “Some blame Meghan Markle for the fallout, ignoring the fact that Harry seems to be the driving force in everything that happened. There was a point when officials joked Harry was the victim of Stockholm syndrome, and he was Meghan’s hostage, but now most just feel Harry has turned his back on everything he has known.” King Charles is understood “not to be in favor” of axing Harry’s title, and has “enduring love for his son.”

However, when Harry asked if Meghan could accompany him to Scotland the day of Queen Elizabeth’s death, senior sources told Jobson it “did not go down well with the family,” and “they were all shocked by his behavior.” Charles, said Jobson, is “saddened by the widening gulf” between him and Harry, and wishes he could see more of his grandkids, Archie and Lilibet.

Other Jobson-sourced revelations, as reported by The Daily Beast on Saturday, include Harry being “infuriated” when Charles told him he could not afford to fund Meghan, Kate Middleton’s upset at having to do the Windsor walkabout after the queen’s death with Harry and Meghan, the queen thinking Harry and Meghan “quite mad,” and Meghan telling the queen, “I’ve got Harry” after the queen advised her to pal up with Sophie, Prince Edward’s wife.

Prince Andrew appears at Easter service

Prince Andrew was a surprise appearance today at the royal family’s first Easter Sunday church outing of King Charles’ reign. The disgraced prince, who was effectively fired from the family over rape allegations by Virginia Giuffre, joined Charles and Camilla and senior royals including Anne, William and Kate and their children at St George’s Chapel in Windsor for the first Easter Sunday service since the queen’s death. The inclusion of Andrew in Sunday’s photocall is a significant sign that he will be included in the main family group at the coronation in less than four week’s time.

‘Military-style exercise’ for queen’s Platinum Jubilee appearance

Towards the end of her life, Jobson writes in another extract, Charles spent more time with the queen; she was reassured that he and Prince William would oversee the continuation of the monarchy, which was why, Jobson writes, “she had sharp words with William after he defied her wishes by taking a helicopter flight to Norfolk with all his immediate family. She had warned him against flying with George in case of an accident, telling her grandson he always had to be aware of the succession.”

The queen wasn’t feeling “strong enough” to appear on Buckingham Palace’s balcony at the Platinum Jubilee, but, Jobson writes, “Charles felt it imperative that his mother should be there to acknowledge the crowds, so he implored her to make a massive effort.

“The queen agreed. On her insistence, a military-style exercise was put in place so that no one could see she was having to use a wheelchair. In considerable discomfort, Her Majesty was taken by wheelchair to the helicopter pad at Windsor. At the Palace, she was wheeled right up to the balcony doors, then helped to her feet so that she could stand—with the aid of a walking stick—alongside Charles and Camilla, plus William and his family. After a firework display, the queen smiled with delight. It was her last salute to her people.”

“It’s my job,” the queen told aides, when they were concerned she wasn’t well enough to bid farewell to outgoing Boris Johnson and “kiss the hands” of incoming PM Liz Truss. “Nothing was going to stop her,” sources told Jobson, though it “took a lot out of her.”

Right Rev Dr. Iain Greenshields, the moderator of the general assembly of the Church of Scotland, saw the queen the weekend before she died. The queen told him she was “at peace” and “spoke of her sustaining faith.” He found her on good form, and her memory and wit sharp, she joking with him—he was sleeping in a room in Balmoral’s tower—that “your Queen is sending you to the Tower!”

Charles went foraging for mushrooms in queen’s last hours

In another Mail extract, Jobson writes that Charles was first alerted to his mother’s deteriorating health on Sept. 7, the night before she died. The next morning he flew by helicopter from his Birkhall estate to Balmoral. Charles sat at her bedside with Princess Anne, then—with “no immediate reason for alarm”—returned to Birkhall for a walk in the woods.

Jobson writes, “As the queen’s life ebbed away, her heir was foraging for mushrooms. More importantly, he was drawing solace and strength from the trees, the smell of the earth and the murmur of the River Muick.”

A personal protection officer told Charles the queen’s health had dramatically worsened, Jobson writes, and Charles rushed to be at her bedside before she died on Sept. 8, at 3:10 p.m. British time. Also there: his wife Camilla, Anne—“who had never left her mother’s side”—and the queen’s doctor of 30 years, GP James Glass.

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Charles and Philip got closer

A friend of Charles’ told Jobson that the perception of Charles and Prince Philip at longtime odds, “and that the Princess Royal was the son he wished he’d had, is out of date and wrong. A much more accurate picture over the past ten years is of two very strong-willed people who came to understand each other's point of view—a father and son who loved each other and enjoyed a relationship of mutual respect and affection. Over the last year of Philip's life, they were the closest that they had ever been.”

Another source told Jobson: “They had both mellowed. In recent years, they were much more accepting of the other's point of view. They had always loved one another very much—that had never been in question. But there was a deeper respect, and it was growing as time went by. They shared common ground on the future direction of the monarchy, on religious issues—even on the environment.”

Charles invites “local heroes” to Coronation

King Charles will invite 850 “local heroes” to the Coronation next month, according to the Mirror—including fundraisers, firefighters, carers, and community workers. As such, the royals hope the event can be seen as the “People’s ­Coronation,” which would be very lovely if the palace didn’t also hope that such a strategy would divert attention to the millions the event was costing, the great, good, and the rich who are attending it, as well as all the family drama swirling around it. The palace is clearly keen for the event to feel more relevant to contemporary Britain, especially one where there is a cost-of-living crisis.

Organizers told the Mirror: “The King insisted on celebrating this momentous event with the people who have made a difference in their communities and make Britain what it is today.” ­Invites have gone out to 450 British Empire Medal ­recipients for their contributions to society.

A royal source told the Mirror: “Of course there is a tremendous amount of deference to the traditions of the past but this occasion will truly represent the world in which we live in, a People’s Coronation. When the eyes of the world will be on Britain, people like Max, who have gone above and beyond to help communities, are the essence of such an event.”

Go on my son!

Prince George was photographed inadvertently mirroring his father Saturday as the pair supported British soccer team Aston Villa winning 2-0 in a match against Nottingham Forest. In a series of photos, William, 40, and George, 9, were pictured simultaneously shouting through cupped hands, clasping their hands over their ears and resting steepled fingers anxiously in front of their mouths.

The fact they were both wearing the classic Hooray Henry weekend attire—pale blue shirt with chunky, casual, navy jumper—only added to the sense that the apple has not fallen far from the tree.

Fergie says the corgis can sense Queen Elizabeth

A ghosted first-person piece by Sarah Ferguson in support of her new book, A Most Intriguing Lady, surfaces in The Sunday Times this weekend. Some of it, as seasoned observers of Fergie might expect, is devoted to updates on the wellbeing of the late queen’s corgis, which she and her disgraced ex-husband, Andrew, took on after her death.

Sarah says: “People have picked me up for saying that the corgis can sense the late queen’s presence at Royal Lodge, Windsor, but it’s true. Her dogs, Muick and Sandy, whom we’ve adopted, often do bark at nothing, which makes me think that Queen Elizabeth is passing by and laughing. I’m not being weird.” She writes that she consulted “a dog whisperer” on how to deal with canine grieving. “He said you have to give them space. And I’ve noticed that at night they do like their own space. I respect that they probably do miss her. I miss her too.”

Party on

Kate Middleton’s parents, Carole and Mike Middleton, are selling their remaining share of party accessories company, Party Pieces, because, according to the Mail, they want “more time for family, gardening and travel.”

The Mail quoted a Party Pieces spokesman saying: “We are working with our advisers to secure additional investment which will help support the business as we look to embark on the next phase of our growth plan.”

A friend says: “Carole and Mike are ready to retire, and rather than just shut up shop, they are looking at the options to see whether someone will buy the business. Carole has poured her heart and soul into Party Pieces and loves the business, but she’s 68 and is there running things pretty much full-time every day. It’s too much of a commitment.”

Faith v Faiths

It had widely been expected that the Order of Service for the coronation would be published this weekend, yet noting has been forthcoming. One reason for the delay, speculates the Mail on Sunday, is a dispute about Charles’ wish to embrace non-Christians: Charles has previously said he wants to be “Defender of Faith,” not “Defender of the Faith.”

Citing church sources, religious affairs commentator Catherine Pepinster writes that his desire for a ceremony featuring a diversity of religions could clash with church law, and this has delayed the release of the program.

In a message last month, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, said the coronation “at its center is a Christian service… rooted in long-standing tradition and Christian symbolism.”

This week in royal history

April 9^th is a significant royal date, being both the day, in 2005, that the now-titled King Charles and Queen Camilla got married, and in 2021, the date of the death of Prince Philip.

Unanswered questions

As the King Charles era of royals reveal themselves at the Easter service today, does Prince Andrew’s presence show he is being accepted back into the fold at least on special occasions? Harry and Meghan attending the Coronation is, at the time of writing, still a great unknown—but for how much longer?

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