Meghan Markle and Prince Harry left King Charles ‘crushed’ with major announcement

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex publicly announced their relationship moments after telling Harry’s father, royal experts claimed. King Charles was reportedly left ‘crushed’ after receiving a mere 20 minutes notice about an announcement from his son, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle, according to a Royal book.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex first crossed paths in July 2016 and made their relationship public in November of the same year. During this period, the-then Prince of Wales was gearing up for a meeting with the King of Bahrain amidst a sensitive tour in the Persian Gulf state. Authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, who penned ‘Finding Freedom’ and are believed to be close to the Sussexes, said his team had spent months organising the tour, hoping it would be “covered significantly” by the media.

However, Charles was reportedly “crushed” when Harry and Meghan not only confirmed their relationship publicly but also launched a critique on the press. Charles feared this announcement would monopolise the news cycle, thereby eclipsing his tour. The authors further claimed that Harry gave his father a scant 20 minutes heads-up before releasing a statement confirming his relationship with Meghan, reports the Mirror.

The book states: “It was a critical moment that had been in the works for months. A statement from Kensington Palace condemning the Press and, in the same breath, confirming Harry’s new girlfriend would all but eliminate coverage of Prince Charles’s tour of the Gulf.” Royal authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have revealed in their book that “The team at Clarence House, which had spent months putting together Prince Charles’ tour in the hopes that it would be covered significantly, was crushed.”

The book also highlights how Prince Harry stood up to anyone who “questioned his new relationship”, with the authors noting that the Duke of Sussex often wondered if people were judging them based on race or snobbery. It’s alleged that Harry severed ties with a friend for “gossiping about Meghan” and was ready for an all-out battle with the media. Despite this, the book maintains that Prince Charles “understood that the situation with Meghan had reached a tipping point”, even though he was “disappointed” by the timing of his son’s statement.