A new book has claimed Prince Harry fell out with one of his closest friends, after he shared “doubts” about Meghan Markle.
Tom ‘Skippy’ Inskip has been a close friend of the Prince since they met at Eton College, but they grew apart after Skippy cautioned Harry about Meghan before they got engaged.
According to the upcoming biography Finding Freedom, Prince Harry was “hurt” after Skippy advised the couple to live together for a while before “doing anything more serious”.
A source close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told the book’s authors that although his advice “came from a good place,” Harry didn’t “see it that way”.
An excerpt published by the Sunday Telegraph reads: “It really hurt him that someone he was so close to would not trust his judgment.”
The book also claims that Skippy and his wife Lara were “punished” by being excluded from Harry and Meghan’s wedding party at Frogmore House.
However, it’s believed Harry and Skippy patched up their friendship last year, following the death of his mother-in-law.
According to another excerpt from the book, Harry was furious when his brother Prince William advised him to slow down his fast-moving romance with Meghan.
William allegedly told Harry: “Don’t feel you need to rush this. Take as much time as you need to get to know this girl.”
Prince Harry was reportedly annoyed that William referred to Meghan as “this girl”, and it allegedly kicked off a rift between them.
Finding Freedom, written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, is set to be published later this month.
The book will shed light on Harry and Meghan’s departure from the Royal Family, and the events that led to them stepping down from their roles at the end of March.
Another excerpt from the book suggests Harry and Meghan were barely speaking to Prince William and Kate Middleton when they attended the Commonwealth Service at Westminster Abbey in March, which was their final official engagement.
“While Harry and Meghan both greeted William and Kate with smiles, the Cambridges showed little response,” the book says. “It was the first time the two couples had seen each other since January.”
The book claims William simply nodded at Harry to acknowledge him, but the Prince apparently ignored Meghan completely.
“Although Meghan tried to make eye contact with Kate, the duchess barely acknowledged her,” the book adds.
The book also reports that Harry was the driving force behind their decision to leave the Royal Family, despite speculation that it was Meghan who pushed for them to quit.
“Fundamentally, Harry wanted out,” a source said. “Deep down, he was always struggling within that world. She’s opened the door for him on that.”
The biography was reportedly written “with the participation of those closest to the couple”, but Harry and Meghan have denied being involved with the book whatsoever.
A spokesperson for the couple has said: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom.”
“This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.”
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