One of the co-authors of a new book about Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, says that the whirlwind romance between the couple created a gap between Harry and older brother Prince William that grew after Harry and Meghan returned of their royal duties years.
Carolyn Durand, who co-wrote “Finding Freedom” with fellow royal insider Omid Scobie, spoke exclusively with TODAY on Monday about the tension in the relationship between the brothers and a touching moment between Harry and Meghan ahead of their 2017 involvement.
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“I think we’ve been trying a lot to correct the misconceptions we’ve seen over the last few years,” Durand told Joe Fryer. “I think the book will hopefully tell her honest story from her perspective.”
The book describes the rapid courtship between Harry and Meghan, which the authors say concerns William, who told Harry not to rave.
“Finding Freedom,” by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand
“He spoke out, maybe he wanted to take some more time to get to know Meghan,” Durand said. “It was not because people did not trust Meghan. This was simply because the boys saw us for each other since they were young children.”
The two “barely spoke” in the months following that conversation and the gap only widened after Harry and Meghan got married in 2018, according to the book. Durand said tensions escalated further this year as Harry and Meghan decided to step down from their royal duties and start a new life in Los Angeles.
“While we were writing in the book, it was not angry,” Durand said. “It hurt.”
However, a source close to Prince Harry told NBC News that the pandemic has brought the royal family closer, especially after the brothers’ father, Prince Charles, tested positive for COVID-19 in March.
“Like in every family, there were some ups and downs, but the brothers make their way back to each other,” Durand said. “And that will take some time.”
The authors cited more than 100 sources for the book, which will be released on Tuesday. They did not speak to Harry and Meghan, but royal expert Victoria Arbiter said on VODAG Monday that the book carries her influence.
“There were a lot of very personal texts mentioned in this book, personal feelings, personal accounts that could really only come from Harry and Meghan,” Arbiter said. “So although not immediately, there’s actually a suggestion here that her friends got permission to chat. I do not think anyone who is a close friend of Harry and Meghan would want to chat without permission, so yes, I say that Harry Meghan’s fingerprints are on here, just not right away. “
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘Finding Freedom,'” a spokesman for the couple said in a statement to VANDAAG. “This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the Royal Press Corps and their own independent reporting.”
“Finding Freedom” also reveals that before Harry and Meghan were officially engaged while roasting a chicken in Nottingham’s cottage, he promised to make her his wife during their second trip to Botswana.
“They actually made a promise to each other in Botswana first under the stars,” Durand said. “And when Harry returned to London, he then proposed over a rusty chicken.”
The two are now focused on their humanitarian work from their home in Los Angeles as they raise their 1-year-old son, Archie.
“When they do video conferencing with their team and with members of the community, you’ll probably see Archie in the camera,” Durand said. “He walks a bit now. They are very, very practical parents.”
