A year after its original release, an updated version of a book about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has made a series of new claims about the royal family.
The paperback edition of Carolyn Durand and Omid Scobie's unofficial biography, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Royal Family, hits the shelves today.
The updated version focuses on what's happened since the Sussexes said goodbye to the family.
It covers their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey and the claims they made, Prince Philip's death and funeral and Harry's relationship with his brother William after a year apart.
Meghan and Harry were not involved in the book however the authors claim they spoke to sources close to the couple.
Here are 12 of the biggest bombshells from the extra pages of Finding Freedom
Friends of couple say Queen did not take ownership of racism allegations
One of the main topics in the additional chapter of the book is Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey.
In that interview in March, they made several claims about the royal family. Meghan alleged there had been conversations about how dark son Archie's skin would be.
She also shared that she had suffered from "suicidal thoughts" and claimed that she was denied help for her struggle.
The epilogue sees friends of the couple claim the Queen has not taken "full ownership" of the issues they raised during the Oprah interview.
Following the airing of the chat, Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying she was "saddened" by the allegations, but added that "some recollections may vary".
In the updated book, the authors say the statement "did not go unnoticed".
Oprah had just days to prepare for chat - and Meghan spoke without royal "shackles"
Despite it being one of the most explosive interviews of her career, Oprah only had a weekend to prepare for her chat with the Sussexes.
As a friend of the couple, the authors suggest there was "no doubt" she would be sympathetic towards them - but they say it was agreed that no topic was off-limit.
This claim has raised eyebrows in the past, as Meghan's father was not mentioned at all during the long interview.
The authors say both Meghan and Harry "felt some nerves" in the lead up, knowing they were going to reveal details they hadn't even told their closest friends.
They write: "Now the shackles of the institution’s “never complain, never explain” mantra were off. It was time to be honest, once and for all.
"With the coronavirus pandemic that forced the couple to move to California from their Canada bolt-hole earlier than planned the year before still holding the world in its grip, the crew kept a careful distance from Harry and Meghan during the taping.
"There were no hugs when they arrived, but Oprah’s warm smile and words of encouragement put Meghan at ease. She would be the first of the couple to speak, having agreed to talk to the media mogul one-on-one before Harry joined for the second half of the chat. As the cameras started recording, the duchess took a deep breath and started to share her truth."
Prince William was "furious" with Oprah interview
The book also claims that Prince William was furious that family matters were discussed in the public domain during the Oprah interview.
Harry discussed his rift with brother Prince William and said he was "trapped". He also accused his dad Prince Charles of cutting him off financially.
Days after the interview was aired, William was asked if the Royal Family was a racist family during an engagement at an east London school. He replied: “We’re very much not a racist family.”
In the updated version of Finding Freedom, it is claimed that William was not happy about the interview and was furious.
It also says he will most likely not comment on the claims made in the Oprah interview again.
Royals were "quietly pleased" Meghan did not attend Prince Philip's funeral
Harry flew back to the UK alone as Meghan was heavily pregnant with the couple's second child, Lilibet.
At the time, sources said she made "every effort" to be there but couldn't get the sign off from her doctor for the 5,400-mile trip.
Now in the updated book, it is claimed some royal family members were understood to be "quietly pleased" she couldn't make it.
The authors claim that several royal family members did not want Meghan to attend because they "didn't want a circus" or, as one senior royal source said, "the Duchess creating a spectacle".
Harry and Meghan 'wanted option of giving Archie a title'
When the couple's son Archie was born in 2019, it was said that they did not want to give their child a title and he would simply be known as Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
This is different to his cousins Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, who all have titles and are styled HRH as they are more senior and higher up the line of succession.
In the updated version of Finding Freedom, it is claimed that Palace aides were instructed to brief the media that Harry and Meghan did not want a title for Archie - but in reality, they did.
The book says the option of a title "would provide their son with a level of security that only comes with a title".
The authors add: "The differential treatment the couple felt had been bestowed upon their son was a major sting to Harry and Meghan."
Palace still 'doing their best' to undermine Harry and Meghan
The book also alleges that Palace courtiers are still "appearing to actively undermine" Harry and Meghan.
In the epilogue, it is alleged that information is being deliberately being leaked about the couple to "discredit them".
The authors point to the fact that just four days before Harry and Meghan's bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey was due to air, bullying allegations surfaced against Meghan.
According to Finding Freedom, for those around Harry and Meghan, the timing of the article, just before the Oprah interview, "could not be ignored".
A friend of the couple told the authors: "Here we go again. It felt like certain individuals at the Palace were doing their very best to undermine and discredit anything they worried the couple may or may not say during the interview."
Meghan and Harry have 'no regrets'
The book claims that the Sussexes have no regrets about their decision to quit the royal family and start a new life in the US.
While they have had a tough 18 months and faced many challenges, pals say they are proud of what they have achieved.
The authors write: "As difficult as recent years have been, sources close to the Sussexes say that neither Harry nor Meghan have any regrets about the decisions they have made.
"What started as a fairy-tale romance became a story that reinvented the genre—a self-made, independent woman playing an equal role alongside her knight."
'Rare day off' for romantic wedding anniversary
The new book also lifts the lid on how Meghan and Harry celebrated their second wedding anniversary, claiming the couple took a "rare day off" to mark the day.
According to the authors, the couple weren't able to go out for dinner to celebrate so instead had to "get a little creative" with a takeaway and cocktails, before swapping cotton gifts.
They write: "With restaurant outings off-limits, the couple had to get a little creative in May for their second-anniversary festivities at home, spending part of the day looking back at their 2018 with a number of people who had been part of the wedding festivities, including vendors that had helped bring their magical Windsor Castle ceremony to life.
"They capped off the day with a Southern Californian favorite: Mexican food ordered from a popular local restaurant, washed down with margaritas (alcoholic for him, nonalcoholic for her).
"For gifts, they exchanged cotton-based items, as the tradition suggests.
"The home celebration was a rare day off for the couple, who focused their new life of freedom around service."
Harry 'disappointed he could have Remembrance wreath laid on his behalf'
During the annual Remembrance Sunday celebrations in the UK last year, Harry was unable to travel to the UK for the service at the Cenotaph due to Covid-19 travel restrictions.
He had reportedly made a request for a wreath to be laid on his behalf during the ceremony.
But according to the updated version of Finding Freedom, it is claimed his request was denied because he was no longer a "frontline royal".
A source close to Harry told the authors he was "saddened and disappointed by the decision".
And to that end, his wreath was left unused in a box at the Royal British Legion's HQ in Kent.
