9 bombshells from royal book - King's oxygen tank and Meghan's brutal nickname
A brand new royal book that examines the complex relationship between the late Queen and King Charles has hit the shelves today, offering a new look at the mother and son's relationship.
It contains a series of bombshell claims not only about the former monarch and her eldest son who is now sovereign, but also about the likes of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and even Princess Diana. Called My Mother and I by Ingrid Seward, the editor-in-chief of Majesty Magazine and the author of countless other royal books, it charts Elizabeth II's bond with Charles as well as the King's often colourful life.
The new book dropped just hours after Harry and Meghan broke their cover for the first time since the launch of their new royal website - sussex.com - which raised eyebrows due to it's heavy royal focus. The couple are in Vancouver, Canada, to promote next year's Invictus Games.
Here we take a look at some of the most eye-raising revelations in it...
Meghan's brutal two-word nickname
One of the most bombshell claims in the book is that the late Prince Philip had a coded nickname for Meghan Markle - 'DoW' - because she reminded him so much of Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. Prince Harry and American actress Meghan met back in 2016, with the couple getting engaged in 2017 before their televised royal wedding took place on May 19, 2018. But Meghan's marriage to Harry wasn't her first, with her already having been wed once before.
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Prince Philip alongside Prince Harry and Meghan MarkleAnd the book claims that because Meghan is American and a divorcee, Philip thought it was "uncanny" how much she reminded him of the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, who married Edward VIII and supported him abdicating as King. Edward VIII was the late Queen's uncle, who famously abdicated in 1936 to marry the American divorcee. This then meant that the Queen's father, George VI, succeeded the throne, with a young Elizabeth next in line.
In a Daily Mail serialisation of the book, Ingrid writes of Philip's feelings of an uncanny resemblance: "He wasn't simply referring to the fact that both were pencil-slim, dark-haired and glamorous American divorcees."
Queen warned about high hopes for Meghan
Meanwhile, the new book serialisation also hinted that despite the late Queen having high hopes for Meghan when she first appeared on the scene as Harry's new love interest - Philip wasn't too sure.
Ingrid explains: "Soon the country as a whole seemed to take to Meghan with equally genuine delight. One of the few wary of succumbing to her charm offensive, however, was Prince Philip. While the Queen continued to champion Harry’s new love, he warned his wife to be cautious."
And she adds: "Queen Elizabeth II was perfectly aware of what Philip meant when he drew parallels between Meghan and Wallis. Indeed, much later, she would remark in her clipped way that perhaps Harry had been ‘too in love’ with the American actress."
Queen's two-word assessment of Meghan's wedding dress
Of course, Harry and Meghan went on to marry in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle in May 2018, with certain elements of the day bucking royal tradition. According to Ingrid, who spoke with one of the late Queen's confidants Lady Elizabeth Anson, she never voiced her true opinion on Harry's wife.
Harry and Meghan on their wedding day (Getty Images)However, the book claims the only remark the late monarch made about Harry and Meghan's wedding was regarding the bride's white, flowing Givenchy wedding gown. Ingrid writes: "Lady Elizabeth told me that the Queen had made only one remark to her about Meghan and Harry’s wedding, which was that the bride’s Givenchy wedding gown was 'too white'. In the monarch’s view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal.
"In the monarch’s view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal. The book also says the Queen was not comfortable with Charles' decision to stand in for Meghan’s father, Thomas Markle, and walk her down the aisle. She was also concerned about 96-year-old Prince Philip’s decision to hobble down the aisle without a stick, despite having had a hip replacement just five weeks before.
Queen dismayed by Harry's 'high-handed attitude'
A year and a half after their royal wedding, the Sussexes decided to sensationally quit their roles. It saw the pair leave the UK in order to move to California to become "financially independent".
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The late Queen with Harry and Meghan in 2018Later they gave a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which they criticised royal life and accused a family member of making comments about the colour of the skin of their unborn son Prince Archie.
And the book claims, the late Queen was left upset by this. Ingrid writes: "According to Lady Elizabeth, the Queen was dismayed by Harry’s high-handed attitude both before and after the wedding, and their relationship was ‘quite badly damaged by it all’. It was even more damaged when Harry decided to give up being a working royal and leave the country — a decision said Lady Elizabeth, that the Queen never truly understood. Then came the couple’s infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which Harry said his father was ‘trapped’ and heavily implied that the Royal Family were racist.
Lady Elizabeth added: "However much she loved Harry — and she did — she couldn't condone the way he was speaking about the institution of the monarchy she’d spent 70 years preserving."
Charles embarassed by Harry upsetting Queen
Meanwhile, not only does the book claim the Queen was left frustrated by Harry, so was his father Charles, as he became "swept up" in his role as Spare.
It reads: "Charles was embarassed that he was unable to stop Harry upsetting the Queen by attacking what was, in essence, his and William's inheritance. Harry became so swept up with his role as spare that he even compared himself to his aunt Margo [Princess Margaret]; he hardly knew her, but it struck him - as he says in his autobiogrpahy - that they should have been friends.
William and Harry beard row
The book also goes into the now virtually non-existent relationship between Harry and his older brother William. And Ingrid writes how a row broke out between the two brothers over Harry having a beard on his wedding day, when the accepted rule is no beards when wearing military dress.
William with Harry on his wedding day (PA)The book says the Queen reluctantly allowed Harry to keep his beard while in uniform on his wedding day but adds: "When William discovered this, he was furious: annoyed that Harry had gone to the Queen, annoyed she had given him her clearance and annoyed at what he saw as Harry's oneupmanship.
"William had not been allowed to keep his beard and had ot been able to wear the military outfit of choice at his wedding. He was the heir and he had to do everything by the book."
Queen's brutal evaluation of Harry and Meghan
Examining the late Queen's character, Ingrid writes she was the "master of understatement delivered in her best deadpan voice". Lady Elizabeth Anson reveals as well as referring to Meghan's wedding dress as two white, she described Harry's feelings towards his wife in a similar fashion.
The book says: "'Too in love' was her [Queen's] response to Prince Harry being under his future wife's spell."
Charles' irritation after Queen's 'model photos'
Elsewhere in the book, Ingrid writes how Charles never enjoyed his mother "taking part in things he considered undignified" - but even he was charmed by her Platinum Jubilee sketch with Paddington.
However, she adds that when the Queen was snapped for her dresser Angela Kelly's book The Other Side posing like a model, her oldest son was left 'irritated'. She writes: "It was enough to incur Charles' wrath - he felt it was thoroughly inappropriate, however good the photogrpahs may have been. He was protective about his mother and thoroughly disliked what he considered was taking advantage of her good nature."
Diana's heartbreaking concern for Harry
Meanwhile, Ingrid also claims that Harry and William's relationship 'has always been fraught with rivalry' - to the point that the second-born 'developed a complex about being second best'.She writes that this led Diana to call her youngest son "her little baby" as he did not want to share his mother with his eldest brother.
The late Princess Diana with her sons William and Harry (Getty Images)And Ingrid adds: "Diana was concerned everyone was going to think he was 'thick' as he didn't have any thirst for knowledge and was not interested in sitting down with a book. He always felt the need to compete in everything, especially with his brother."
Diana's demand after Charles' dance refusal
Elsewhere in the book, the relationship between Charles and his first wife Princess Diana is examined. Despite their 12-year age gap, the pair married at St Paul's Cathedral in 1981 but had a turbulent marriage and ultimately ended up divorcing in 1996. In the new book, the early days of their courtship are looked at and it is claimed the wedding quite nearly didn't go ahead. According to the biographer it came when Diana felt humiliated by Charles after he refused to dance with her at Prince Andrew's 21st birthday party.
Diana was invited to the birthday party at Windsor Castle which was complete with a disco, dry ice wafting smoke across the dancefloor, with Elton Johnson providing the cabaret. Diana had not seen Charles for a while as he had been away the previous week so she was hoping to spend some time with him that evening, the author claimed.
However, while she wanted to dance, Charles spent the entire evening "dutifully working the room" and making sure he would talk to as many people as possible, according to Ms Seward. She writes in her book that Diana was "in despair" so she "threw herself into dancing frantically with one man after another - and finally just dancing by herself."
After this, the author writes: "She [Diana] was distraught, flustered, angry and had no intention of ever going back. As far as Diana was concerned, the Royal Wedding was off." However, she added that Diana's father, Earl Spencer, was "appalled" because there was not much time left before the wedding and also because he thought his daughter was convinced about her marriage."
- My Mother and I, by Ingrid Steward, is available to buy on Amazon now.
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