New book says Prince Harry 'driving force' behind rift with royals not Meghan Markle

A new book on the British royal family seems to defend Meghan Markle from allegations that she took Prince Harry away from his family and his royal duties in the U.K.

In his book "Our King Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed," royal author Robert Jobson referred to claims that the former "Suits" star was the catalyst behind Megxit and the Duke of Sussex's rift with his family, especially with his older brother Prince William.

He said, in an excerpt from his book obtained by The Sun, that some aides "blame" the Duchess of Sussex "for the fallout, ignoring the fact that Harry seems to be the driving force in everything that happened."

Prince Harry has also since clarified in the Netflix docuseries "Harry & Meghan" that his wife should not take the blame because it was his decision to leave their royal duties behind and move out of the U.K.

Moreover, Jobson noted that "there was a point when officials joked Harry was the victim of Stockholm syndrome, and he was Meghan's hostage, but now most just feel Harry has turned his back on everything he has known." Stockholm Syndrome is a condition in which hostages develop a psychological bond with their captors.

But he also said that Prince Harry and Prince William have long butted heads even before Meghan Markle came into the picture. But Harry reportedly became more outspoken about his struggles with royal life when he met his future wife.

Jobson said that while Queen Elizabeth II adored the duchess, she felt that her grandson's love for the former actress "clouded his judgement." He claimed that Her Majesty struggled when the couple aired their grievances against the institution in their Oprah interview in March 2021, calling it "quite mad" behind closed doors.

The interview shattered whatever trust was left between Prince Harry and his brother and father. According to Jobson, the duke's "total lack of discretion" concerned Prince William and King Charles III. So much so, that "neither felt they could fully trust him again and they decided not to meet him alone in future."

He said, "I think the Queen felt, from what I understand from people close to them, that his judgement was - he was so much in love with Meghan... that effectively it was clouding his judgement. That's what Her Majesty thought."

The author said that the monarch felt her grandson was "so consumed" by his dedication and love for his wife that he drifted apart from his family and his royal duty. Jobson added that The Queen also found communicating with the Duke of Sussex challenging because of his strained relationship with his brother and father saying, "Her Majesty found Prince Harry's calls quite difficult and wearisome. She didn't want to interfere in the father/son relationship and would urge him to speak to his father."

The writer likewise claimed that Queen Elizabeth II was left "devasted" when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left their royal duties (dubbed Megxit) in 2020. The duke, in his memoir "Spare," said that they initially asked to be part-time working royals. They asked to work in another Commonwealth country and continue to serve the public under Her Majesty's name. But was told by King Charles III and his grandmother during the Sandringham Summit that they were either in or out, a sentiment that Sarah Ferguson also agrees with. She said in a recent interview, "You can't have it both ways. You can't sit on the fence and keep one foot in and one foot out. But then don't cry about not being invited to weddings. You chose to leave, now go and live it – and be it."