Meghan Markle is said to be "dreading" next week's release of a much-anticipated biography by a writer dubbed the "Witchfinder General of contemporary biographers".
The new book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors by biographer Tom Bower, known for unflinching takes on his subjects, will draw on "interviews from insiders who have never spoken before", according to material reported by The Mirror. Bombshells according to Bower include that the Queen didn't want Meghan at Philip's funeral, the Sussexes "festered with fury" after Jubilee plans were blocked and details of the furore following Meghan's Vanity Fair front cover.
Bower, who has previously written unauthorised biographies of Robert Maxwell, Richard Branson, Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson, has based his book on information provided by Meghan's friends and foes, but she has not had any input herself. The book has been previously described as one Meghan Markle "will be dreading" by an author who "doesn't pull his punches".
An anonymous source told The Sun: "This is the book Meghan will be dreading. Tom doesn't pull his punches and is terrifyingly thorough in his research. No stone will be left unturned."
Mr Bower, dubbed the "Witchfinder General of contemporary biographers", then teased that the contents of the book will be a "great surprise". Here are the five bombshells revealed by the biographer so far.
1. The Queen didn't want Meghan at Philip's funeral
The Queen told one of her most trusted staff member that she was relieved Meghan Markle was not attending Prince Philip 's funeral, the new book has claimed. Mr Bower alleges that Her Majesty responded to aides who told her the Duchess of Sussex would be absent by saying: "Thank goodness."
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the claims made in the book, which hits the shelves on July 21. The funeral on April 17 came just one month after her grandson Harry and Meghan gave their infamous interview to Oprah Winfrey.
One of the biggest allegations from the interview was that there were "several conversations" within the Royal Family about how dark Meghan and Harry's baby might be. Reports suggested this left Buckingham Palace fuming.
2. Meghan's 'hysterical' phone call following Buckingham Palace's fury over a Vanity Fair front cover
The Oprah Winfrey interview wasn't the first time one of Meghan's interviews had angered the Royal Family. In 2017, the Duchess of Sussex appeared on the front cover of September's issue of Vanity Fair along with the headline "She's just wild about Harry!"
Buckingham Palace and Meghan had tried to avoid discussing Harry - but both were reportedly furious following publication, reports the Sun along with excerpts form the book. Bower writes: "Within hours, Meghan called Ken Sunshine and Keleigh Thomas Morgan. Hysterically, she described Buckingham Palace's fury at 'Wild About Harry'.
"Sunshine Sachs, said Meghan, should have ensured that her comments about Harry were removed. Why wasn't the focus on her philanthropy and activism?
"Ken Sunshine feared that Meghan would fire his agency. Puzzled why Buckingham Palace was angry, he called the magazine's editor to deliver what he imagined to be the ultimate threat.
"'You're going to have to deal with the Queen on this,' he said. "The furious monarch, he imagined, like Trump, would pick up the phone and berate the editor. The editor was bemused."
3. Couple were furious after their Jubilee plans were blocked
The explosive book claims Prince Harry and Meghan were left "festering with fury" after the Palace denied all of their demands on the Platinum Jubilee weekend. The couple flew to Netherlands for the Invictus Games "but festering was their fury that the Palace had refused all of their demands for a prominent role at the Jubilee in return for returning to Britain with their children," Bower writes.
In his view, it was Meghan who felt the need for them to be on the balcony and in the limelight due to the contract they have with Netflix.
4. How Meghan tried to remove Harry references from magazine article
According to Bower, Meghan had been "ecstatic" when she was first asked to appear on the front cover of Vanity Fair. But she had tried to direct the interview with contributing editor at the magazine, Sam Kashner, away from her relationship with Harry.
Bower writes: "Kashner arrived at Meghan's home and told that his interviewee was under strict orders from both Harry and Keleigh Thomas Morgan. Aware that Diana and Sarah Ferguson had destroyed themselves in interviews, Harry had asked Meghan to maintain tight-lipped silence about sensitive subjects - Donald Trump, race, their relationship and especially himself. He was not to be mentioned."
5. Charles vetoed their balcony moment at Jubilee despite pleas from the couple
The biographer goes on to detail how Prince Charles "preferred" that the Sussexes are "private citizens" and therefore were not invited onto the balcony or to ride in the royal carriage during the Platinum Jubilee. In a bid to secure a prominent role, Bower claims Harry asked if he could visit the Queen at Windsor - but the monarch insisted he visit his father Prince Charles and Camilla before meeting her.
Battling tension caused by their controversial Oprah Winfrey interview, the Sussexes had a fraught but civilised meeting with the Prince of Wales. The situation was reportedly better as they met the Queen later, but the issue of their appearance on the balcony remained "unresolved" Bower claims.
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