With the terms of the pair’s exit from The Firm to be negotiated over the next few months, the British author wrote in The Telegraph: “the most successful members of the Royal Family are those who — like the Gloucesters, the Wessexes and Princess Alexandra’s Kent brothers — are happy to offer Her Majesty steady background support.”
“Those who set themselves up as rivals, like the Sussexes, are disasters.”
The harsh statement surfaced after reports from The Sun that Prince Harry will conduct a series of video chats with the Queen to discuss an extension of the Megxit deal that will expire after a year on March 31, 2021.
The pair’s original deal was arranged during the Sandringham Summit in January this year, and was actioned at the end of March, prior to their move to California.
During the summit, it was confirmed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would step away from royal duties in order to pursue financial independence.
The couple promised to work with “the values of Her Majesty,” but a number of incidents — including their commercial deals with Spotify and Netflix — have been perceived as a stab against the monarchy since their departure.
Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s explosive biography Finding Freedom discussed the pair’s desire for autonomy, writing: “as their popularity had grown, so did Harry and Meghan’s difficulty in understanding why so few inside the Palace were looking out for their interests.”
“Increasingly, Harry had grown frustrated that he and Meghan often took a back seat to other family members.”
The book continued to note Harry and Meghan “both respected the hierarchy of the institution” but found it “difficult when they wanted to focus on a project.”
With “friendly video calls” set to occur next month in the ongoing discussions around the couple’s exit deal, royal biographer Andrew Morton explained to The Sun, “Harry wants to meet face to face to tie it all up.”
“Things seem to have calmed down. Harry has been in contact with the Queen more often than you would think. But certain things you need to be there in person to sort. They will need a few weeks. That could be done after April, depending on COVID.”
The Duke and Duchess intend to be in the UK for the Queen’s 95th birthday in April, the Duke of Edinburgh’s 100th in June, and for the unveiling of a Princess Diana statue in July, depending on the coronavirus restrictions.
A royal aide informed The Sun that negotiations are likely to “drag past March 31.”
“The Sussexes have laid out their stall very clearly.”