Tom Bower’s new book Betrayal includes explosive claims about royal family tensions, with Camilla allegedly telling a friend that Meghan had ‘brainwashed’ Prince Harry
The Queen delivered a scathing verdict on Meghan Markle, claiming that the American actress had “brainwashed” Prince Harry before the couple’s exit.
In his explosive new book, Betrayal, author Tom Bower claims that “jovial” Harry became “possessed by seeking revenge” after meeting the Duchess. The book also lifts a lid on the reported tensions behind Palace walls, with Kate and William reportedly viewing Meghan as a “divisive” threat who lamented that she would never be Queen.
From Harry’s fear that this once-beloved brother will strip his titles, to a closer look at Meghan’s Netflix debacle – which saw her show fail to crack the top 1,000’s most watched shows – here is a closer look at the latest royal drama to seep outside the hallowed walls.
The piece, published on The Times website on Friday, claims tensions massively escalated between the Sussexes and the Prince and Princess of Wales prior to Harry and Meghan’s departure from the royal family.
READ MORE: Secrets of Meghan’s break-up with Netflix exposed by insiders – with brutal Harry warning
Bower’s forthcoming book – Betrayal: Power, Deceit And The Fight For The Future Of The Royal Family – continues his investigation into the strained relationship between the Houses of Sussex and Windsor, four years after the publication of his bestseller Revenge: Meghan, Harry, And The War Between The Windsors.
According to Bower’s account, William and Kate believed Meghan “lamented Harry’s unlikely chances of one day being king, just as she regretted the possibility that she would never be the queen”.
“Meghan had become a divisive agent,” Bower writes. “To please her, Harry was ignoring his old friends. He even changed his telephone number without telling his family.
“The jovial lad about town became possessed by seeking revenge. “Increasingly, his character mirrored Meghan’s. Emotionally, he veered towards extremes. Simple dislikes became passionate hatred.
“‘Meghan’s brainwashed Harry’, Camilla told a friend.”
The excerpt released on Friday – also in The Times Magazine – reports that Harry was “shocked” by the downfall of Andrew-Mountbatten Windsor following revelations about his ties with American financier Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender.
“The unpredicted and unimagined humiliation of Andrew shocked Harry,” Bower pens. “Rightly, Harry fears that the future King William could remove all the Sussexes’ titles and effectively banish him from Britain.”
Six years after their resignation as senior working royals, the Sussexes are reportedly encountering significant challenges, including dwindling finances following the termination of their Netflix deal, criticism of their visit to the California wildfires last year as a mere “photo op”, and tensions surrounding the Invictus Games.
READ MORE: Meghan and Harry’s ‘crossroads’ – ‘fiery rows, dimming spark and indifference’
In 2020, Meghan and Harry inked a contract believed to be worth over 100 million US dollars (£74 million) with Netflix.
They also secured a first-look agreement for film and television projects, meaning that Netflix would have first refusal on Harry and Meghan’s ventures with their Archewell production company. The inaugural series of With Love, Meghan premiered on Netflix in March 2025, coinciding with the launch of her lifestyle brand As ever – with her initial products, including her raspberry jam, consistently promoted throughout the programme.
But earlier this year, statistics revealed that the Duchess’s Netflix programme failed to break into the top 1,000 most-viewed shows on the platform.
On Friday, it was announced that the Duchess’ lifestyle brand As Ever would become fully independent, having previously been supported financially by the streaming giant.
It seems there is confusion over their parting of ways, with conflicting reports emerging from both camps. Shortly after the announcement, a source seemed to suggest that ending the partnership was Meghan’s idea rather than Netflix’s.
They said: “Meghan is still on good terms with the Netflix team and close personal friends with Ted (Sarandos) so hasn’t wanted to upset him, but is very happy to have full control of the company. It’s a good time for Meghan to have complete control, given recent successes.”
But this week, a source based in Los Angeles told the Mail that Netflix were “not happy” with how Meghan’s brand was performing. “They were not happy with the fact that no one really cared about the brand – so when they were looking to create As Ever areas in Netflix House there was no appetite for it.
Speaking of other programmes released on the streaming service, they added: “It just didn’t fit with Squid Game or Stranger Things or Bridgerton like they had hoped”.
Mayah Riaz, communications guru and PR to the stars, told The Mirror: “From a PR perspective, the Sussex brand has always relied heavily on momentum and narrative. Looking at the early years, there was intense global curiosity around them. Now we are seeing a shift where the public and platforms alike are asking a much simpler question: what is the actual product?
“I think it’s also important to mention that there is a wider fatigue around celebrity projects that feel more like personal branding exercises rather than compelling entertainment. If Netflix felt the concept behind As Ever did not translate into strong viewing or global appeal, it would make sense that they would stepped back from it.”
Last week, the Sussexes also declared they will be travelling to Australia next month for several engagements. It is understood that their children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – will not be accompanying them.
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