But Richard Fitzwilliams conceded the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge “were not meant” to like ‘Finding Freedom’, which claims the relationship between the couple’s deteriorated so much that by March they were barely speaking. He told Express.co.uk: “The Queen and Prince Charles are praised, the Cambridge’s won’t like it but they were not meant to.”
Finding Freedom claims the couples hardly spoke at an engagement at the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey despite not having seen each other since January.
Co-authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand said: “Although Meghan tried to make eye contact with Kate, the duchess barely acknowledged her.”
Scobie previously told The Times: “To purposefully snub your sister-in-law… I don’t think it left a great taste in the couple’s mouths”.
The authors also described a culture of bitterness and resentment gradually growing between the Sussexes and other members of the Royal Family.
They say the Sussexes felt their complaints were not taken seriously and believed other royal households were leaking stories about them to the press.
The authors write: “There were just a handful of people working at the palace they could trust… A friend of the couple’s referred to the old guard as ‘the vipers’.
“Meanwhile, a frustrated palace staffer described the Sussexes’ team as ‘the squeaky third wheel’ of the palace.”
Meanwhile, the book claims Prince Charles’ official 70th birthday photograph with his family was a “nightmare” to plan because his sons blew “hot and cold” with their father.
READ MORE: Meghan and Prince Harry exposed: Bombshell book had SECRET MOTIVE
Stood behind the prince and his wife were William and Kate, with the duchess holding Prince Louis, and Harry and Meghan.
The book also claims how the relationship between Charles and Harry was more complicated than a traditional father and son bond.
The authors wrote: “‘While Charles may be father to Harry, he’s also their boss, and that makes the relationship complex for a number of reasons’, a source added.
“‘Charles is extremely focused on his public image, and there have been times Harry has felt that has taken precedence over everything else’, the source said.”
The book looks back over the events of the last few years, from when the couple first met and fell in love, their decision to step down as working royals in order to have financial freedom and the first few weeks of the coronavirus lockdown.
But a spokesman for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has distanced the couple from the book, saying: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom.
“This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.”
Clarence House and Kensington Palace declined to comment.
