Palace aides thought Prince Harry was being kept hostage by Meghan Markle

As the relationship between Prince Harry and his family worsened, palace aides believed they knew the extraordinary reason why.

Palace aides feared Prince Harry was being held “hostage” by his wife Meghan Markle when the couple quit royal life.

The senior officials at Buckingham Palace initially blamed Ms Markle, the former star of US show Suits, for the decision to leave the UK and life as working royals.

Aides claimed he was a “victim of Stockholm syndrome”, royal writer Robert Jobson says in his new biography, Our King: Charles III — The Man And The Monarch Revealed.

One senior aide said: “Some blame Meghan Markle for the fallout, ignoring the fact that Harry seems to be the driving force in everything that happened.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, may lose their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. Picture: Getty

“There was a point when officials joked Harry was the victim of Stockholm syndrome, and he was Meghan’s hostage, but now most just feel Harry has turned his back on everything he has known.”

The book reveals for the first time that senior officials debated stripping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their titles - something that could still happen.

Jobson writes talks about removing their titles occurred at the “highest level”.

King Charles was not in favour of axing the titles because of his “enduring love for his son”, but Jobson said that could change though if Harry continues to “attack” the monarchy.

The King could then bow to “increasing pressure” and the couple could demoted to “Mr and Mrs Mountbatten-Windsor of Montecito, California”.

Palace aides believed Prince Harry was being held “hostage” by Ms Markle.. Picture: Netflix

NEW DETAILS ON QUEEN’S LAST HOURS

It comes as new details emerge about the final hours of The Queen’s life.

Jobson writes in his book the night before, while presiding over a function at Dumfries House in East Ayrshire, the then Prince Charles had been alerted that the Queen’s health had suddenly deteriorated.

The following morning he was flown by chopper to Balmoral Castle and joined Princess Anne at The Queen’s bedside. After spending a few hours with her, he left to his nearby estate as there seemed “no immediate reason for alarm”.

But he was soon summoned back to Balmoral, when he was told via his protection officers her health had taken a dramatic turn for the worse.

King Charles III follows behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II. He spent her final hours at her bedside. Picture: Getty

He made it in time before she died at 3.10pm.Prince William, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward and Edward’s wife Sophie, arrived at Balmoral at about 5pm, almost two hours too late.

Prince Harry didn’t turn up until just before 8pm. According to Jobson’s book, he decided not to fly up to Scotland with his brother and uncles after a disagreement over Ms Markle. When Prince Harry insisted that she should accompany him, it was his father who told him she couldn’t.

“That did not go down well with the family – they were all shocked by his behaviour,” an insider said.

Originally published as Palace aides thought Prince Harry was being kept hostage by Meghan Markle