Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell biography Finding Freedom has taken a swipe at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s decision to have live-in help, revealing that the Sussexes didn’t want the same for their family.
The book, out today and co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, details how the Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex, 39, decided not to have any live-in staff.
Instead, Harry and Meghan first hired a night nurse for their son Archie, now one, but were ‘forced to let her go’ during her second shift ‘for being unprofessional’ before ‘requesting a nanny to work weekdays’, according to the authors.
However, it is now thought that Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, a former social worker, is acting as an ‘unofficial nanny’ to her grandson after moving in with the Sussexes in LA.
This is a stark contrast to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s, both 38, decision to have Norland College-trained, full-time nanny Maria Borrallo help look after their children, Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, five, and Prince Louis, two.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s bombshell biography Finding Freedom has taken a swipe at Prince William and Kate Middleton’s decision to have live-in help, revealing that the Sussexes didn’t want the same for their family. Pictured: Full-time nanny Maria with the Cambridges and the Queen at Princess Charlotte’s christening in July 2015
The book, out today and co-authored by journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, details how the Duke, 35, and Duchess of Sussex (pictured with their son Archie in 2019), 39, decided not to have any live-in staff
Finding Freedom provides an intimately detailed and personalised version of the events leading up to the Sussexes’ dramatic departure from royal life, with co-authors Scobie and Durand insisting ‘all information in this book has at least two sources’.
The book details how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided not to have any live-in help following the birth of their son Archie in May 2019, with the authors writing: ‘Harry and Meghan had agreed they didn’t want heir home filled with staff.’
They go on to write that ‘Harry had seen that situation at Prince William’s home (the Cambridge’s had a live-in housekeeper and a full-time, live-in nanny) and didn’t want the same for his own family.
‘He and Meghan liked the idea that when they went to bed at night, it was just the three of them in the house. Cosy and private.’
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge employ a Norland nanny called Maria who is often seen in a traditional uniform looking after their three children.
Hired when their eldest George was just eight months old, the ‘Spanish supernanny’ trained at the prestigious Norland College which has been producing childminders for the rich and famous since 1892.
Despite Harry’s reported reluctance to hire live-in help, the prince is said to have remained particularly close to his former nanny Tiggy Legge Bourke.
Tiggy was employed by Prince Charles in 1993 to look after his two young sons after he separated from their mother Princess Diana.
The former nursery school teacher Tiggy formed a close bond with Harry and William, even calling them ‘my babies’.
Meanwhile, Finding Freedom also claims Harry and Meghan were ‘forced to let go’ of Archie’s night nurse during her second shift with the couple ‘for being unprofessional’.
The book claims the pair wanted to hire a night nurse to establish a sleep schedule and be an extra pair of helping hands’ after the birth of their son Archie, one.
However, the nanny’s time with the family was ‘brief’, with the authors writing: ‘Meghan and Harry felt they were forced to let the nurse go in the middle of her second night of work for being unprofessional.’
According to the book, the couple had originally decided to ‘forgo’ a full-time nanny however decided to work with a night nurse after Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, flew back to Los Angeles.
Instead, Harry and Meghan (pictured with their son) first hired a night nurse for their son Archie, now one, but were ‘forced to let her go’ during her second shift ‘for being unprofessional’ before ‘requesting a nanny to work weekdays’, according to the authors
Prince William and Prince Harry were famously close to their nanny Tiggy Legge-Bourke (pictured with Harry in 1997), who Prince Charles hired after his divorce to Princess Diana
The former nursery school teacher Tiggy (pictured with the Duke of Sussex in 2006) formed a close bond with Harry and William, even calling them ‘my babies’
The book goes on to say the couple felt the nurse’s behaviour was ‘unprofessional’, but does not explain the details of what happened.
Carolyn Durand co-authored Finding Freedom with fellow royal expert Omid Scobie
And, after their experience with the first nanny, the couple were wary, with the authors writing: ‘The new parents went on to hire a second night nurse, who did a fine job, but because of the incident with the first nurse, neither found themselves comfortable sleeping through the night without going to check on Archie regularly.
‘After a few weeks, they decided to take on nights themselves and went without a night nurse entirely.’
Instead the couple ‘hired a nanny to work weekdays’, joining other members of staff in the household.
However, it’s now thought Meghan’s mother, Doria Ragland, a former social worker, is acting as an ‘unofficial nanny’ to one-year-old grandson Archie.
It was reported in June that she had moved into the mansion her daughter and Harry are renting in Los Angeles.
A source told the Sun: ‘Doria has her own quarters and whilst a few of Harry’s chums have been ribbing him about living with his mother-in-law, he has a brilliant relationship with her.’