Prince Charles’s 70th birthday photo was ‘nightmare,’ book says

Truth behind what looked like portrait of one very happy family: Prince of Wales’ official 70th birthday family photograph was ‘absolute nightmare’ because of difficulties with brothers, biography claims

The Prince of Wales’ official 70th birthday photograph with his family was an ‘absolute nightmare’ to plan because his sons blew ‘hot and cold’ with their father, the book claims.

The photo released in 2018 featured the heir to the throne sitting on a bench with Prince George on his knee, and the Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Charlotte next to him.

Standing behind were Prince William and Kate, with the duchess holding Prince Louis, and Harry and Meghan.

The photo released in 2018 (pictured) featured the heir to the throne sitting on a bench with Prince George on his knee, and the Duchess of Cornwall and Princess Charlotte next to him.

A source said it was difficult to arrange as ‘neither William nor Harry made much of an effort to make themselves available’, with the authors of the book describing Charles and Harry’s relationship as ‘complicated’.

But when Charles contracted Covid-19, Harry immediately telephoned his father to find out how he was, the book states. ‘The doctors described the Prince of Wales as in “good spirits” and his symptoms as mild, it was still enough to fill Harry with worry,’ the authors wrote.

‘He immediately called Charles at Birkhall, his Scottish home where he was now quarantined. Harry regularly checked in on his father until he was out of quarantine and recovered – as well as Camilla, who isolated herself as a precaution.’

Meanwhile, Meghan saw Prince Charles as a father figure – and he was equally fond of her, the book claims. She is said to have formed such a close bond with Charles that she considers him her ‘second father’.

He is said to have taken a ‘real shine’ to her, describing her as a ‘sassy, confident beautiful American’. A friend said: ‘He likes very strong, confident women. She’s bright, and she’s self-aware, and I can see why they’ve struck up a very quick friendship.’

Did couple give consent for friends’ revelations? 

The authors of the book, who are both long-term supporters of the duke and duchess, say it is an attempt to reveal the ‘real Meghan and Harry’ by tackling the ‘persistent untruths and overblown conspiracies’.

Harry and Meghan have publicly denied giving an interview to the authors or ‘contributing’ to the book.

But they have failed to address whether they had given permission for their closest friends, staff and associates to collaborate with it.

Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand say they have written the book with the ‘participation of those closest to the couple’ and boasted of having access to Harry and Meghan’s personal and professional ‘inner circle’.

Insiders firmly believe that would only have happened with the couple’s permission, tacit or otherwise.

The book also paints a very pro-Sussex picture of the chain of events which eventually led to them leaving Britain.

And the biography contains intimate anecdotes which would be known only by those people closest to them.

 

Meghan’s first cup of tea with the Queen is also described in great detail in Finding Freedom – in a clear breach of royal protocol. Dismissing the notion that such occasions are meant to remain private, the book describes Meghan’s first visit to ‘the inner sanctum of the Queen’s private apartment’.

‘Harry kissed his grandmother on both cheeks as they walked into her sitting room,’ the authors wrote. ‘Was she really meeting with the head of the Commonwealth? Today, however, it was just “Granny” as Harry called the Queen, who sat down on the silk, upholstered straight-back chair.’

Drinking a blend of Darjeeling and Assam tea, Meghan’s insecurities were put to rest when the Queen’s corgi and two dorgis ‘took to her right away’.

Relations with the wider Royal Family were not always so straight-forward, however.

Princess Eugenie was upset when Harry and Meghan shared the news they were expecting at her wedding, the book claims.

The duchess announced she was pregnant in the spring of last year, ahead of a royal tour and when she was at just 12 weeks.

The authors wrote: ‘Family members had found out about the pregnancy just days prior, at the wedding of Harry’s closest cousin. It did not go down particularly well with Eugenie who, according to a source, told friends she felt the couple should have waited to share the news.’

The book also revealed that Meghan discussed her divorce with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby prior to her wedding. The two are said to have formed a ‘close bond’.

Before marrying Harry, Meghan chose to be baptised into the Church of England.

The book states Meghan’s faith is ‘extremely important to her’ adding: ‘That’s something most people don’t know about her.’

It also suggests her first marriage to TV producer Trevor Engelson failed because he ‘didn’t like’ her new-found fame after she got a role in US legal drama suits.

Nanny let go in middle of her second night 

Harry and Meghan sacked a night nurse for being ‘unprofessional and irresponsible’, the book claims.

The unnamed nanny was let go in the middle of her second night looking after their son Archie, the authors said.

It is not known what the nanny was said to have done wrong.

The night nurse had been hired to help establish a sleep schedule and be an extra pair of hands after Meghan’s mother Doria went back to Los Angeles.

After letting the night nurse go, the duke and duchess went on to hire a second night nurse, ‘who did a fine job’.

But, the book said, ‘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 the nights themselves and went without a night nurse entirely.’ Instead, they hired ‘a nanny to work weekdays’.

The book said Harry and Meghan had agreed they ‘didn’t want their home filled with staff’, a situation Harry and seen at his brother William’s home, where there was a live-in housekeeper and a full-time live-in nanny.

The authors wrote: ‘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.’

 

Classmates said no one could be that perfect 

Meghan’s classmates at school saw her as ‘fake’ because it was impossible to be that ‘perfect’.

The book claims she always went the extra mile to help others. But despite the envy of her classmates, the book says that she never saw herself that way.

Instead, it claims that Meghan thought she had more to prove than anyone because of her race and not always knowing if she would fit in.

At school, Meghan joined a range of clubs and ended up being voted the title of homecoming queen, similar to prom queen.

One of the extra curricular activities she was involved in was acting. Former acting teacher Gigi Perrau, told the author: ‘She was incredibly hard-working. I was bowled over by the strong work ethic she had at such a young age.’ She was also said to have given her all in any role, whatever the size.

Another friend apparently dubbed her ‘Grace Under Fire’ because ‘whatever pressure she was under she didn’t fall apart’.

 

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