"Revenge" by Tom Bower (2022)

[Tirilschatz]

May I ask, and it is really a question out of curiosity!, if it is not possible that said comment about the ginger afro, whoever it said, was not meant the way someone speculates about a child getting its fathers black hair or its mothers green eyes. Or a mixture of both.

 

[Lori138]

May I ask, and it is really a question out of curiosity!, if it is not possible that said comment about the ginger afro, whoever it said, was not meant the way someone speculates about a child getting its fathers black hair or its mothers green eyes. Or a mixture of both.

I thought the same thing. That it was not said (if it was) to be mean but as a comment and said with a smile, I assume. Pretty thin skinned too take that as an outright sign of racism as I think Meghan was welcomed into the RF until she wasn't.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

May I ask, and it is really a question out of curiosity!, if it is not possible that said comment about the ginger afro, whoever it said, was not meant the way someone speculates about a child getting its fathers black hair or its mothers green eyes. Or a mixture of both.

Would the same type of speculation have taken place about the physical characteristics of Harry's future children if his fiancee had been Middle Eastern or Jewish?

As a person of color I just don't want to deal with that kind of "humor" sorry.

As for Meghan taking umbrage at Harry's subsidiary title of "Dumbarton " I have to agree with Allison. Meghan for all her ambition and intelligence comes off as surprisingly...unsophisticated ...about certain things. It also shocked me that she didn't know she know she would be expected to curtsey to the Queen of England. Why the heck didn't this smart woman do her homework about the world of European royalty, protocol, titles, and religious expectations that she was marrying into??

And even more importantly, why hadn't Harry prepared her?

 

[Tirilschatz]

Would the same type of speculation have taken place about the physical characteristics of Harry's future children if his fiancee had been Middle Eastern or Jewish?

As a person of color I just don't want to deal with that kind of "humor" sorry.

Yes, IMO the same type of speculation had taken place because that is what excited family members do, talk about the future child.

 

[Leopoldine]

May I ask, and it is really a question out of curiosity!, if it is not possible that said comment about the ginger afro, whoever it said, was not meant the way someone speculates about a child getting its fathers black hair or its mothers green eyes. Or a mixture of both.

It's normal to speculate about future children when a couple get engaged. Prince Philip was happy that Diana would bring some height into the line.

 

[Lee-Z]

my mother's family had, 11 kids, from which 5 looked exactly like the dad's family (blond, curly hair, blue eyes), and the rest like mum's family (dark, very straight hair, brown eyes), and that is still talked about 80 years later, and for every next generation to follow...

this is regular talk in most families who are on speaking terms with eachother..

 

[Alison H]

*I think the books does show the marriage(in the sense of a royal marriage staying part of the BRF) was never going to go well. Meghan showed little interest in British life and in learning about how the BRF works. She came along at a time when Harry was low due to his changing role in the RF, mental health issues and family relations. Someone else with a hugely different view point to Meghan may have been able to reconcile Harry with his future role, his position and his family - for Meghan it actually worked better for her to big all of those things up. Balancing it all was never going to work.

It's just amazing how Meghan didn't seem to want to know how the Royal Family worked, and how Harry didn't seem to think it necessary to prepare her. Diana struggled with some things, and she was the daughter of an earl with close ties to the Royal Family, and the granddaughter of someone who'd been very close to the Queen Mother. So someone from another country was obviously going to struggle, especially marrying into the Royal Family after a relatively short courtship.

I suppose we'll never know how much, if at all, they genuinely intended to try to make things work.

Apparently the book tries to drag the Beckhams into things, by claiming that Harry wrongly accused them of leaking stories to the media.

Interesting quote from the book, which perhaps sums things up:

Convinced that as champions of goodness they were being persecuted by mendacity and racism, they felt victimised by the mildest criticism.

I think that says it all. They were convinced that they were on the right side of everything, and they had a very big persecution complex.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

"Happy speculation" around the eye and hair color of children is completely different than race/ethnicity based comments about things such as hair texture, nose size etc.

It doesn't surprise me that people who are non minority don't see it as a big deal. But to those of us who have spent a lifetime subjected to this type of thing I can assure you that is often offensive and unwelcome.

My personal belief is that Meghan uses her racial minority identity when it is convenient for her to do so. It didn't seem like much of an issue during her school years or her time on Suits. But viewed in context of all the other nastiness like the "Straight Outta Compton" headline in the Fail, her reaction to the Afro joke makes sense. She had had enough and I don't blame her a bit.

On that note, I am going to bow out of this conversation because I don't want to trigger another Moderator shutdown.

 

[Prinsara]

Would the same type of speculation have taken place about the physical characteristics of Harry's future children if his fiancee had been Middle Eastern or Jewish?

As a person of color I just don't want to deal with that kind of "humor" sorry.

How racial was it meant to be, though? Harry does have red hair (which is massively stigmatized in the UK). Meghan does have extremely curly natural hair. It's pretty factual, not stereotypical. Were Charles's ears mentioned too at some point and we just don't know about that? There's a true lack of context.

What we do know is that skin color and "how dark/too dark" was not mentioned at all. If anything it seems to be Meghan inaccurately representing things for sympathy, as she has been known to do.

As for Meghan taking umbrage at Harry's subsidiary title of "Dumbarton " I have to agree with Allison. Meghan for all her ambition and intelligence comes off as surprisingly...unsophisticated ...about certain things. It also shocked me that she didn't know she know she would be expected to curtsey to the Queen of England. Why the heck didn't this smart woman do her homework about the world of European royalty, protocol, titles, and religious expectations that she was marrying into??

And even more importantly, why hadn't Harry prepared her?

Because she was apparently not that interested in history and minutiae and he is not that bright, and was also quite anxious not to scare her off, like his former girlfriends (and also perhaps quite ambivalent about whether he wanted to stay in the BRF at all).

 

[tommy100]

I can see people in my family making a joke about what a future baby may look like from any couple (indeed we have done - I hope they don't get your nose etc etc)

I'm not sure I see the alleged comment as racist personally. If I did feel it was that I'd say something to the person who made it and explain my feelings. Not broadcast it to the world, but that is just me.
Anyway, we are veering off topic.


What amazes me is that someone as lever as Meghan (and I think she is a very clever woman) didn't take the opportunities presented to her - she had the Queen's senior Lady in Waiting (Lady Susan Hussey) visit her for help, the Queen's Equerry (also a person of colour), the Queen convinced her Assistant Senior Private Secretary and former Press Secretary to stay on and be a senior aide to Harry and Meghan and at one point they even had the Queen's own former Private Secretary step in to help them (Lord Geidt) despite him being forced out by Charles and Andrew - the days of Diana sitting alone in BP were well and truly over. The fact Meghan couldn't make that work is a red flag IMO.

The book highlights to me that Meghan was still thinking wholly as a former LA actress who wanted to return and be an A lister and show those who had doubted her that she was now at the very top. In some sense I don't blame her for that - who of us couldn't say hand on heart we would like to go back to school, a work place etc where people put us down or doubted us and show how successful we now are. IMO though she could of done that by becoming the next generation Princess Anne, or a more nuanced role as a powerful ambassador of the Commonwealth. It seems she is almost narrow minded to see outside the course she set for herself early on in her life and couldn't recognise that success looks different over time. That is what the book suggests to me. All along in Meghan's mind it was about "how to become an A-lister" back in LA rather than making herself a success within the RF.

Harry is as much to blame, he should have recognised, as his brother did, that rushing in to a wedding when you are royal is never going to help. The book shows how quick they went from first date to engagement - Harry hadn't even met her parents. He had seen others marry in to the RF and knew what worked and what didn't.

Again, to me the book highlights they both had their issues and put together they became explosive.

 

[Mbruno]

I read the book, read some bits a few times. It doesn't set out to be a "bombshell" but to, at times almost forensically, examine the actions taken, explain what is true, what isn't and why things happened as they did.

A lot of what Bower writes certainly makes sense and does explain things. Whether it is all true, well like any book I imagine the author feels assured they've checked as much as they can and believes it to be true. Some bits I'm sure will turn out not to be.

If anyone comes of looking bad, maybe it is because people don't like the real reasons actions were taken.

Few stand out bits for me:

*they tried to arrange exclusive CBS access to the Queen's first meeting with Archie after his birth

*there are a lot of people who say Meghan acted forcefully at times and couldn't get along with those who didn't agree with her or were no use to her. This comes up again and again from the many different jobs / roles Meghan has had. This doesn't mean she is a bully but IMO it shows she has a problem dealing with people.

*It sheds light on just how much Meghan used the media right up (and the books claims beyond) her engagement and marriage to Harry

*I don't think others in the RF other than HM come across particularly well so I don't think it is pushing one side over another

*I don't think Bower necessarily is anti-Meghan, he uses the book to explain why things were done and it actually made me understand her better

*An element of the books view points being anti Harry and Meghan is self inflicted - Bower says friends of H&M were banned from speaking to him. That always leads to a slightly one sided view. Simon Cowell spoke to Bower when he did a biography on him for that reason - to allow him to deny any untrue stories so they didn't go into the final book.

*I think the books does show the marriage(in the sense of a royal marriage staying part of the BRF) was never going to go well. Meghan showed little interest in British life and in learning about how the BRF works. She came along at a time when Harry was low due to his changing role in the RF, mental health issues and family relations. Someone else with a hugely different view point to Meghan may have been able to reconcile Harry with his future role, his position and his family - for Meghan it actually worked better for her to big all of those things up. Balancing it all was never going to work.

On your last point, I think that, more so than royal life or her role in the Royal Family, the biggest problem was Meghan's lack of interest in a British "way of life" and her personal preference to live in the United States (or at least somewhere in North America, including Canada) rather than in the UK. I would even dare say that Meghan seems to dislike living in the UK and would never get used to it, even if she had married a non-royal Briton instead.

 

[Somebody]

The focus on the USA (media) from the start - which seems to intensify instead of lessen after marriage- indeed seems a sign that she was mostly thinking as an American celebrity focused on fame, influence and wealth -i.e., how to raise to the top as quickly as possible within her own America-focused world- instead of how to contribute in her new role as a member of the royal family which secured her a life time of opportunities to do good as well as world fame.

All in all, it is a tragic story imho - and one that we nobody will fully understand as there are so many different perspectives (this book sharing one of them) and unknowns (both in facts and in intentions). I can only hope that wounds inflicted by the various parties will heal and that especially the children will find a way to connect with their paternal family even though their parents chose a way away from them (which is more complicated in a 'family business').

 

[tommy100]

On your last point, I think that, more so than royal life or her role in the Royal Family, the biggest problem was Meghan's lack of interest in a British "way of life" and her personal preference to live in the United States (or at least somewhere in North America, including Canada) rather than in the UK. I would even dare say that Meghan seems to dislike living in the UK and would never get used to it, even if she had married a non-royal Briton instead.

Yes I agree, I think she saw "finding a UK man" (for we know she was on something of a mission to do that) as a way to boost her American profile. She barely lived in the UK before marrying and she had a very very "sunshine white beaches" dream of living in LA/North America IMO - being stuck at Frogmore cottage under Heathrow flight path wasn't cutting it. I think at very least she would have put up with was a 50/50 split between USA and UK. The lack of time in the UK made her unprepared for royal life - she didn't know how people interact with each other in a work setting here (and I imagine in the royal household that is even more extreme), she had little knowledge of the country beyond London, Windsor and maybe Cotswolds outside of royal duties (she may have found somewhere here that she felt they could have lived in) and she didn't know how to utilise her skills set in this country to make her royal life a success (she could have had a much more hands on royal within the arts for example) Honestly, the book underlines it, they married far far too quick.

Off topic but I think they could have managed 50/50 UK/USA split actually. Bower mentions the idea of them moving to America being seen negatively by the Household I think (I will go and check) - if so thats a damn shame - with everyone on board they could have made it work IMO.

 

[MARG]

IF Camilla said that, I don't blame Meghan for being put off by it. It was rude period and not a bit funny imo.

I wonder did the same amount of racial "joking around" take place when one of the Gloucester daughters wed a Maori?

As far as racial characteristics go, the Sussex children don't look a bit different than any of the other of the Queen's great grandchildren except for their red hair.

As a Kiwi I have to admit I wondered about the very same thing. However, this "Gospel" account has Camilla being snobby, bigoted and just plain idnknuand, for that reason alone, I do not believe she did it. Remember, she is still walking on eggshells around William and Harry at that stage so again it doesn't quite jibe well. So I think it's just a backhanded swipe at Camilla.

Would the same type of speculation have taken place about the physical characteristics of Harry's future children if his fiancee had been Middle Eastern or Jewish?

As a person of color I just don't want to deal with that kind of "humor" sorry.

As for Meghan taking umbrage at Harry's subsidiary title of "Dumbarton " I have to agree with Allison. Meghan for all her ambition and intelligence comes off as surprisingly...unsophisticated ...about certain things. It also shocked me that she didn't know she know she would be expected to curtsey to the Queen of England. Why the heck didn't this smart woman do her homework about the world of European royalty, protocol, titles, and religious expectations that she was marrying into??
t
And even more importantly, why hadn't Harry prepared her?

Well, the things that are important to women are not to men. I once had an unfortunate and embarrassing incident when I was invited to an afternoon recital given by his sister at a theatre and the dress was "summer casual". He fronted in jeans and a T-shirt, I wore a sundress and high-heeled sandals. His family and friends fronted in silk, satin and pearl strands to die for. Men just don't notice differences. I am going to add that for Harry so much of his life (like his brother's) was just business as usual or what to them was normal. It seems to have never occurred to them that their normal was "Royal" normal and everyone else's plebian normal was considerably different to theirs.

"Happy speculation" around the eye and hair color of children is completely different than race/ethnicity based comments about things such as hair texture, nose size etc.

It doesn't surprise me that people who are non minority don't see it as a big deal. But to those of us who have spent a lifetime subjected to this type of thing I can assure you that is often offensive and unwelcome.

My personal belief is that Meghan uses her racial minority identity when it is convenient for her to do so. It didn't seem like much of an issue during her school years or her time on Suits. But viewed in context of all the other nastiness like the "Straight Outta Compton" headline in the Fail, her reaction to the Afro joke makes sense. She had had enough and I don't blame her a bit.

On that note, I am going to bow out of this conversation because I don't want to trigger another Moderator shutdown.

IMHO the comment about Archies hair was the last straw. To be honest, poor Catherine suffering
from Hyperemesis gravidarum limited her public exposure (and educated TPTB that pregnancy isn't a cakewalk) and she only experienced the evils of media attacks while engaged and in the early years of her marriage. I defy any pregnant woman to be sanguine about verbal and visual attacks throughout her pregnancy.

I was staggered that her pregnancy seemed to be just another issue to attack a very ill-prepared royal spouse and a hormonal one at that! Am I surprised that both Harry and Meghan opted to retire to Windsor and Frogmore Cottage for both peace and health? This book seems proof positive that the media are still searching for raw meat and is creating many new narratives and salacious inferences. How many are true is really up to who is reading them and how knowledgeable or biased they are,

 

[Ghost]

As a Kiwi I have to admit I wondered about the very same thing. However, this "Gospel" account has Camilla being snobby, bigoted and just plain idnknuand, for that reason alone, I do not believe she did it. Remember, she is still walking on eggshells around William and Harry at that stage so again it doesn't quite jibe well. So I think it's just a backhanded swipe at Camilla.

Well, the things that are important to women are not to men. I once had an unfortunate and embarrassing incident when I was invited to an afternoon recital given by his sister at a theatre and the dress was "summer casual". He fronted in jeans and a T-shirt, I wore a sundress and high-heeled sandals. His family and friends fronted in silk, satin and pearl strands to die for. Men just don't notice differences. I am going to add that for Harry so much of his life (like his brother's) was just business as usual or what to them was normal. It seems to have never occurred to them that their normal was "Royal" normal and everyone else's plebian normal was considerably different to theirs.

IMHO the comment about Archies hair was the last straw. To be honest, poor Catherine suffering
from Hyperemesis gravidarum limited her public exposure (and educated TPTB that pregnancy isn't a cakewalk) and she only experienced the evils of media attacks while engaged and in the early years of her marriage. I defy any pregnant woman to be sanguine about verbal and visual attacks throughout her pregnancy.

I was staggered that her pregnancy seemed to be just another issue to attack a very ill-prepared royal spouse and a hormonal one at that! Am I surprised that both Harry and Meghan opted to retire to Windsor and Frogmore Cottage for both peace and health? This book seems proof positive that the media are still searching for raw meat and is creating many new narratives and salacious inferences. How many are true is really up to who is reading them and how knowledgeable or biased they are,

If I understand correctly the comment was made, if it was made, even before they got engaged, so no hormonal poor pregnant woman.
On the other hand, I remember all those years of Kate being shred in the papers before even the 2007 break up. If I may say, and it’s only my personal opinion as from a third country - I’m neither from UK nor from USA, even though I visited both many times - with Kate the press was less restrained because she is one of them, being British, and there wasn’t any restraint from fear of being accused of discrimination. I remember all the things I’ve read about her. Again, personal opinion.

I’m now passed two thirds of the book. I think that Meghan never truly put her heart into establishing herself in uk. And that, for me, is a red flag for the marriage, because it shows she was disingenuos. When else was she disingenuos in regard to her relationship with Harry?

 

[Curryong]

I wouldn’t be trusting any biographer who made it his avowed intent to try and ‘diminish’ his subjects. For me the fact that Bower made it his business to only speak to those who he knew disliked Meghan and had an agenda themselves is the exact opposite of what a fair and balanced biographer would hope to do.

It would be very likely for a biographer with the aim Bower had with this book, to both cherry-pick any actions which appeared to contrast with the narrative he had adopted, and to ascribe the worst of motivations always to Meghan in everything she attempted after her marriage.

 

[tommy100]

I guess if they wanted a more balanced view Harry and Meghan could have done what others have done when Bower has written about them and authorised friends to speak to him. Just as they did for Finding Freedom.

Everything in nay of these biographies has to be taken with a pinch of salt, they tend to either be with some collaboration and then seen as too positive or without collaboration then as overly negative.

What I do take from this are the themes, behaviour and occurrences we have heard about from others over and over again. Certain specifics can of course be wrong but after you hear some things over and over it looks like they could well be true.

 

[Curryong]

How do we know that Bower didn’t concentrate on those who originally disliked those behaviours or complained about them and so exclusively interviewed them? While he ignored those who got on very well with Meghan and with Harry and had no complaints?

 

[Ghost]

How do we know that Bower didn’t concentrate on those who originally disliked those behaviours or complained about them and so exclusively interviewed them? While he ignored those who got on very well with Meghan and with Harry and had no complaints?

Because he said that the Sussexes cautioned those who are close to them to not speak to him.

“During the interview, the author admitted that many of his sources were people who don't like Meghan because she'd warned her nearest and dearest her not to speak to him.”

 

[FigTree]

I’ve been listening to it.

Don’t know what to say. Harry doesn’t really come out of it well: childish and seemingly unable to do much. Meghan comes across as quite superficial and shallow, dislikes people rocking her boat and likes things her way. Very determined.

One thing that does come across strongly…Harry was delighted to leave. Which I think is great…but he doesn’t actually get people are interested because he’s a Prince and same for Meghan. Leaving should have meant not living off it. But they have to live and Meghan was not going to take anything but stellar.

I don’t think it’s that dire about them. Probably talking that up to sell books.

Camilla saying that rings true. Classical institutional racism of her class and age.

Catherine’s tears isn’t even that bad to be honest. She wanted tights…so. This happens and no one listened to her about Charlottes hem. She was exhausted. She cried.

Not sure about tiara story…would she have wanted the Kokosnhik emerald one? She may have seen it online. Strikes me as someone who would look up tiaras online.

Meghan doesn’t come out of it a necessarily amazing person just determined and a bit ruthless.

But what comes across hughly is their inability to be questioned and/or be accountable. Both paper thin skinned and that alarms me for their mental health. It’s like they just want this perfect social media image of themselves to exist.

 

[Magnolia471]

I’ve been listening to it.

Don’t know what to say. Harry doesn’t really come out of it well: childish and seemingly unable to do much. Meghan comes across as quite superficial and shallow, dislikes people rocking her boat and likes things her way. Very determined.

One thing that does come across strongly…Harry was delighted to leave. Which I think is great…but he doesn’t actually get people are interested because he’s a Prince and same for Meghan. Leaving should have meant not living off it. But they have to live and Meghan was not going to take anything but stellar.

I don’t think it’s that dire about them. Probably talking that up to sell books.

Camilla saying that rings true. Classical institutional racism of her class and age.

Catherine’s tears isn’t even that bad to be honest. She wanted tights…so. This happens and no one listened to her about Charlottes hem. She was exhausted. She cried.

Not sure about tiara story…would she have wanted the Kokosnhik emerald one? She may have seen it online. Strikes me as someone who would look up tiaras online.

Meghan doesn’t come out of it a necessarily amazing person just determined and a bit ruthless.

But what comes across hughly is their inability to be questioned and/or be accountable. Both paper thin skinned and that alarms me for their mental health. It’s like they just want this perfect social media image of themselves to exist.

Meghan bullied her 3-years old child...And you think that's 'normal' to cry for Kate.
You make our so many excuses for Meghan and expect too much for others.
Only 'thier mental health' matters.
She lied about P&G during a ONU speech, she lied about her college tuition...and you still believe her and consider her a victim at all cost?

 

[Moonmaiden23]

That is NOT what FigTree did at all. Quite the opposite.

 

[FigTree]

Meghan bullied her 3-years old child...And you think that's 'normal' to cry for Kate.
You make our so many excuses for Meghan and expect too much for others.
Only 'thier mental health' matters.
She lied about P&G during a ONU speech, she lied about her college tuition...and you still believe her and consider her a victim at all cost?

There is no evidence Meghan bullied Charlotte and it is never put forward in this book as something the author found evidence for.

I think what comes cross strongly is that Meghan is a fantasist and a hustler. She doesn’t seem like a victim.

 

[Prinsara]

I still don't understand. So after Meghan globally insisting that Catherine made her cry (and had "owned it" and apologized), it ended up Kate was the one crying after all?

 

[Moonmaiden23]

It sounds like they both made one another cry at some point. Interestingly enough, Meghan admitted that Kate made it a point to apologize and try to make amends afterwards.

But radio silence regarding if Meghan ever apologized to her sister-in-law.

 

[Curbside]

It sounds like they both made one another cry at some point. Interestingly enough, Meghan admitted that Kate made it a point to apologize and try to make amends afterwards.

But radio silence regarding if Meghan ever apologized to her sister-in-law.

I’m with the bride on this one. In my opinion, members of the wedding party should be about making things easier on the bride, not harder. This is why we often see the most atrociously horrible dresses on bridesmaids.

 

[FigTree]

I still don't understand. So after Meghan globally insisting that Catherine made her cry (and had "owned it" and apologized), it ended up Kate was the one crying after all?

No mention in book of Meghan crying. Kate definitely apologised. Opinions vary on how Meghan took that.

 

[Silverpot]

I’ve been listening to it.



Not sure about tiara story…would she have wanted the Kokosnhik emerald one? She may have seen it online. Strikes me as someone who would look up tiaras online.

.

I've been wondering about that story since it was first published. I find it highly unlikely that she wanted the Greville emerald kokoshnik, nobody knew it still existed, so I don't think Meghan knew about it either. I'm an avid tiara watcher and I was gobsmacked when it suddenly materialized on Eugenie's head.

She could, of course, have seen the Vladimir emerald drop tiara on the web and asked for that one, not understanding that the Vladimir is one of the big guns of the British vault, worn only by the Queen for State banquets and other important events.



But didn't she tell a story about how she was presented with five tiaras to chose from? It would be weired if the kokoshnik was among those five and she was denied it.

 

[FigTree]

I've been wondering about that story since it was first published. I find it highly unlikely that she wanted the Greville emerald kokoshnik, nobody knew it still existed, so I don't think Meghan knew about it either. I'm an avid tiara watcher and I was gobsmacked when it suddenly materialized on Eugenie's head.

She could, of course, have seen the Vladimir emerald drop tiara on the web and asked for that one, not understanding that the Vladimir is one of the big guns of the British vault, worn only by the Queen for State banquets and other important events.



But didn't she tell a story about how she was presented with five tiaras to chose from? It would be weired if the kokoshnik was among those five and she was denied it.

Sorry the book says she wanted the Vladimir. She may well have asked about and was told no but the book says Kelly said it was because of unknown Russian heritage. Which I’m not sure makes sense.

I’m with the bride on this one. In my opinion, members of the wedding party should be about making things easier on the bride, not harder. This is why we often see the most atrociously horrible dresses on bridesmaids.

It all sounds a bit female/wedding issues over outfits. There was a debate about tights and Catherine was trying to say Charlottes dress was too short and the hem was wrong and it didn’t fit properly. It definitely wasn’t short and was a large size. Given Charlotte dress at Pippa’s wedding was short. Not sure that is whole story either.

Kate is hardly mentioned in the book other than saying that They had nothing in common.

 

[Hallo girl]

Sorry the book says she wanted the Vladimir. She may well have asked about and was told no but the book says Kelly said it was because of unknown Russian heritage. Which I’m not sure makes sense.

In Finding Freedom the Tiara issue is around obtaining the selected Tiara for a fitting with the hairdresser. If I remember correctly he had flown in from somewhere especially for a practice on the hair with the tiara.

Meghan and the hairdresser were in London and required the tiara for the fitting but Angela Kelly was at Windsor with the Queen and could not come up to London to access the vaults for the tiara.

Harry was not happy and made his feelings known. ( I have paraphrased this bit)

I do not know if any of it is accurate,