Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, has today stated that she contributed to a biography about herself and her husband, Prince Harry, via a third party.
New court documents - part of her claim against The Mail On Sunday - state that Meghan was worried that 'her father’s narrative' may feature in the book, and therefore asked a trusted individual to pass on 'the true position', which 'could be communicated to the authors to prevent any further misrepresentation.'
Finding Freedom – the biography by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand – is a must-read for anyone interested in the royal couple. Well written and meticulously researched, there is a real sense of intimacy and an impressive level of detail. But there was an undeniable elephant in the room throughout: the question of how involved Harry and Meghan themselves were in the creation of this explosive tome.
When the book was first announced, reports screamed of a new book ‘by Harry and Meghan.’ This was, of course, fallacy. There has never been any suggestion that they were directly involved in the writing process. Follow up teasers claimed that they had given interviews to the authors, but some sources later vehemently denied this, instead praising Omid and Carolyn’s impressive – and they truly are impressive – sources close to the couple and to the royal family. Nevertheless, reading the book is a rollercoaster of extremes. Some detail is so remarkably specific – I have never consumed a book on the royal family that possesses such minutiae – while other key moments are glossed over hurriedly and vaguely. Did Harry and Meghan – or their sources, at least – offer unique little tidbits with the understanding that they would not spill larger, more fiercely sought intel?
The author’s note sheds some light on proceedings. ‘We have spoken with close friends of Harry and Meghan, royal aides and palace staff (past and present),' it reads, 'the charities and organisations that they have built long-lasting relationships with and, where appropriate, the couple themselves.’
The specifics and access are unprecedented. We learn the model of barbecue that Meghan buys. The exact works of art that Harry purchases at romantic milestones. The secrets of their early dates that had, until now, been complete mysteries. We discover that Meghan, like anyone caught short in the middle of nowhere, relieved herself in the bushes while on a trip in Botswana (Harry was, the book says, 'delightfully surprised'). We know the emoji Harry used after they first met, and the songs she played while preparing for her wedding. There is real, emotional insight into what she was thinking at times of pressure – such as ‘As Meghan continued her morning yoga practice by the green riverbeds of the Zambezi River, it was difficult not to lose focus’, or ‘Meghan was feeling a little emotional as she looked around the boxed-up living room of her Toronto home.’ It’s all good stuff, a landmark piece of research in the couple’s history. And yet, there is also baffling vagueness which now seem more reasonable: if Meghan's third party was brought on to pass on only some information, it is clear that the couple did not partake in every aspect of the book.
We are, for example, told how the pair hit it off on their first date, but not told who set them up in the first place. The destination of their honeymoon is not divulged – ‘they spent the majority of the week-long trip in the sun at a location so private, most of their friends still don’t know where they went.’ The close friends and sources – and, as the note confirms, Harry and Meghan themselves - are so clued up that they know about barbecue models, paintings and playlists, but do not answer long-asked questions.
Perhaps the individuals interviewed so rigorously simply are close enough to the inner circles to know the background info, but not quite close enough to have been trusted by Meghan and Harry with the more grand details. More likely, perhaps, they are so friendly with the pair that they knew that revealing such secrets would not be tolerated. Harmless details provide the proof the writers needed that they have impressive access, without betraying the couple whose lives provide their – and all royal journalists’ – bread and butter. Did Harry and Meghan themselves agree to speak, on the condition that they could veto certain revelations? If so, it has led to a broad portrait with some undeniable blanks.
A certain lack of balance lends credence to the theory. No one would suggest that Meghan’s father Thomas Markle has dealt with fame well, but his viewpoint is dismissed and his claims are shut down as lies without, it seems, source verification. ‘In one of his many interviews, Thomas claimed a furious Harry called him up and hissed, "if you had listened to me, this would never have happened"', the book recalls. ‘But no such conversation occurred.’ Who says? How do we know that? Now, we know, it is because of Meghan herself.
Finding Freedom is, without doubt, a page-turner, and has earned a place on the heaving shelves of royal biography through its insight, detail and lively, readable style. I will doubtless return to it again and again. After all, few authors have come close to Omid and Carolyn’s feat. But their tantalising sprinkling of information is often a mere tease for a main course that doesn’t quite satisfy.
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Best Books About The Royal Family
1 of 15Meghan: A Hollywood Princess by Andrew Morton
The man who interviewed Diana so famously takes on Meghan, interviewing those closest to her to uncover the story of her childhood: growing up in The Valley in LA, studying at an all-girls Catholic school and her breakout into acting. The book also delves into her previous marriage and divorce in 2013, her struggles in Hollywood.
2 of 15The Final Curtsey A Royal Memoir by the Queen's Cousin by Margaret Rhodes
The intimate and revealing autobiography of Margaret Rhodes, the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth II. This is as close to the royal family as you get. The publishers say: ' In the Second World War years she 'lodged' at Buckingham Palace while she worked for MI6. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding of her cousin, Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip. Three years later the King and Queen attended her own wedding; Princess Margaret was a bridesmaid. In 1990 she was appointed as a Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen Mother, acting also as her companion, which she describes in touching detail. In the early months of 2002, she spent as much time as possible with her ailing aunt, and was at her bedside when she died at Easter that year. The next morning she went to Queen Elizabeth's bedroom to pray, and in farewell dropped her a final curtsey'
3 of 15Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
Published in August 2020, this book is expected to be a 'bombshell' that it's been claimed will 'settle scores'. In its description, the publishers claim: 'Finding Freedom goes beyond the headlines to reveal unknown details of Harry and Meghan's life together, dispelling the many rumours and misconceptions that plague the couple on both sides of the pond. As members of the select group of reporters that cover the British Royal Family and their engagements, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have witnessed the young couple's lives as few outsiders can.With unique access and written with the participation of those closest to the couple, Finding Freedom is an honest, up-close, and disarming portrait of a confident, influential, and forward-thinking couple who are unafraid to break with tradition, determined to create a new path away from the spotlight, and dedicated to building a humanitarian legacy that will make a profound difference in the world.'
4 of 15Ma’am Darling: 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown
Definitely one for fans of The Crown and its various Princess Margarets… She made John Lennon blush and Marlon Brando clam up. She cold-shouldered Princess Diana and humiliated Elizabeth Taylor. Jack Nicholson offered her cocaine and Pablo Picasso lusted over her. To her friends Princess Margaret was witty and regal, to her enemies, she was rude and demanding. Ma'am Darling looks at her from many angles, creating a kaleidoscopic biography, and a witty meditation on fame and art, snobbery and deference, bohemia and high society.
5 of 15Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life by Sally Bedell Smith
This vivid, eye-opening biography--the product of four years of research and hundreds of interviews with palace officials, former girlfriends, spiritual gurus, and more – claims to be the first authoritative treatment of Charles's life that sheds light on the death of Diana, his marriage to Camilla, and his preparations to take the throne one day.
6 of 15The Mountbattens: Their Lives & Loves by Andrew Lownie
A well-researched deep-dive into the lives of Dickie and Edwina Mountbatten, a couple who witnessed much of the 20th Century's history – including Royal landmarks – at first hand.
7 of 15Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner
The remarkable life of Lady in Waiting to Princess Margaret who was also a Maid of Honour at the Queen's Coronation. Anne Glenconner reveals the real events behind The Crown as well as her own life of drama, tragedy and courage, with the wonderful wit and extraordinary resilience which define her.
8 of 15Our Rainbow Queen by Sali Hughes
A photographic journey through Queen Elizabeth II's ten decades of colour-blocked style. From the dusky pinks the Queen wore in girlhood all the way through to #NeonAt90, by way of that hat she wore on the announcement of Brexit, and not forgetting her trusty Launer handbag ever at her side, this must-have collection celebrates the iconic fashion statements of our longest reigning and most vibrant monarch.
9 of 15The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown
The original people's princess, Diana is the subject of many great books – this, by Tina Brown, is by someone who knew her personally and the world she inhabited.The book explores, 'Diana's sexually charged mother, her subtly scheming grandmother, the stepmother she hated but eventually came to understand, and a terrifying trio of in-laws and relations: Fergie, the force of nature whose life was full of its own unacknowledged pathos; Princess Margaret, the fading glamour girl; the implacable Queen Mother and more formidable than all of them, her mother-in-law, the Queen, whose admiration Diana sought till the day she died. Add Camilla Parker-Bowles, the ultimate "other woman" into this combustible mix, and it's no wonder that Diana felt the need to break out of her royal cage into celebrity culture, where she found her own power and used it to devastating effect.'So yes, quite a lot there.
10 of 15Diana: Her True Story – In Her Own Words by Andrew Morton
Formerly 'Her True Story' before it was revealed much of the book was based on taped interviews with Diana herself and the book was reissued, this is the often-quoted pretty much definitive story of Princess Diana.
11 of 15The Royals by Kitty Kelley
Originally not available in the UK for fear of legal repercussions, this book makes for a page-turner for Royal gossip fans. The description promises: 'Kitty Kelley has gone behind the scenes at Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace to raise the curtain on the men and women who make up the British royal family. Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Princess Diana...here are the scandals of the last decades: the doomed marriages and the husbands, wives, lovers and children caught in their wake and damaged beyond repair. No one is spared.'
12 of 15The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe by Angela Kelly
Angela Kelly has worked with The Queen and walked the corridors of the Royal Household for twenty-five years, initially as Her Majesty's Senior Dresser and then latterly as Her Majesty's Personal Advisor, Curator, Wardrobe and In-house Designer. As the first person in history to hold this title, she shares a uniquely close working relationship with The Queen, with the monarch's position.
13 of 15Harry and Meghan: Life, Loss and Love by Katie Nicholl
It's another book about Harry and Meghan, but coming from Katie Nicholl - one of the best authorities on the royal family - you know that it's good. This book details their romance right up until the royal wedding.
14 of 15Meghan Misunderstood by Sean Smith
The latest biography on Meghan Markle to hit our shelves (from November 12), the description says Sean Smith 'pulls no punches as he reveals the remarkable and powerful story of this self-made, intelligent American woman with a strong social conscience who has made such an impact on our lives.'
15 of 15Prince Philip Revealed: A Man Of His Century
Royal expert Ingrid Seward presents an incredibly in-depth exploration of the man who has stood by the Queen's side for decades. The perfect accompaniment to his forthcoming centenary celebrations next year.