Harry and Meghan's highly anticipated new biography: 5 key takeaways

Meghan Markle has been going through it, according to a biography released last week. The American actress and her husband, Prince Harry, who recently bought a home in Southern California, have been unable to escape relentless press coverage since they began dating in 2016. ‘Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family’ is a somewhat sympathetic account of the couple’s life, from their first date onward.

The highly anticipated, nearly 400-page biography written by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand (pictured), who promise insider knowledge about the couple, was released by Harper Collins in the US. A spokesperson for Meghan and Harry said in a statement that the “Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘Finding Freedom’.” “This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting,” the statement continued.

‘Finding Freedom’ delves into Meghan’s tumultuous tenure as a senior member of the royal family, the often racist coverage from tabloids, her rupture with her father, Thomas, and the tension between her and the other residents of the palace. Markle, 39, and her husband, 35, stepped down as senior members this year. Below are five essential facts gleaned from the book:

1) Meghan and Kate weren’t fighting, but they weren’t close: According to the authors, Meghan and her sister-in-law Kate Middleton are “not the best of friends” but also “not at war with each other.” This runs counter to the narrative peddled by the British tabloids, which have often portrayed their relationship as a straight-up catfight.

Instead, the two “had struggled to move past the distant politeness of when they first met.” Scobie and Durand write that “although Meghan might have understood Kate’s wariness to strike up a meaningful friendship, they were still no closer by the time she was a fellow senior working member of the royal family and the wife of William’s brother.” “Flowers for her birthday were nice,” they continue, “but Meghan would far rather have had Kate check in on her during the most difficult times with the press.”

2) The royal family has a way with Christmas gifts: They have a rather surprising affinity for seasonal gag gifts. According to the book, Harry has given his grandmother, the Queen of the United Kingdom, Head of the Commonwealth and Defender of the Faith, “a shower cap emblazoned with the phrase ‘Ain’t Life a Bitch.’ (Spoiler: She loved it, according to the authors.) Before Harry was with Meghan, Kate gave him a “Grow Your Own Girlfriend” kit.

3) The couple fired a nanny during her second night of work: Per the biography, Harry and Meghan axed their son Archie’s night nanny during her second shift for being “unprofessional and irresponsible.” The nurse “did a fine job,” the authors write. But she compared unfavourably to the day nanny. (Relatable!) Neither Harry nor Meghan “found themselves comfortable sleeping through the night without going to check on Archie regularly.”

4) Prince William told Harry of his reservations about Meghan: While William was publicly supportive of Meghan and Harry after they went public with their relationship, he “privately voiced concerns to aides about the speed at which Harry’s relationship was developing with a Hollywood actress he hadn’t known for long,” the authors write. William did eventually tell Harry to “take as much time as you need to get to know this girl.” Needless to say, Harry didn’t like that! “Harry was pissed off,” a source told the authors. “Pissed off that his brother would ask such a thing. Some felt it was an overreaction. But then this totally sums them up as people William, the calm and rational one, and Harry, who can’t help but take things far too personally.”

5) Thomas Markle is not in Meghan and Harry’s life: This is not a surprising revelation. Meghan’s estranged father has spoken negatively about the couple in numerous interviews. As the book recounts, even after Thomas staged paparazzi photos in Mexico, Meghan still arranged for him to fly to London for their May 2018 nuptials. He didn’t come. “As much as she was hurt and humiliated, she wanted him to be there and was willing to move on,” Meghan’s close friend told the authors. “Plus, she was worried about him; she honestly wasn’t sure if he was actually okay. His behaviour was bizarre.” He has essentially ghosted her. According to the book, when Archie was born, Meghan had her mother, Doria Ragland (pictured), text Thomas the good news because she “did not want him to find out after the rest of the world.” But Meghan reportedly left it there; she “didn’t want to know whether her father replied to her mother’s text.”