Nine biggest bombshells from Robert Hardman’s new book on the royals

From further humiliation for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to behind-the-scenes sniping, these are the biggest revelations from a new tell-all royal book.

It’s the new royal book that’s set to be explosive for the British monarchy — and serve as another humiliating blow for Meghan and Harry when it’s released this week.

Royal author Robert Hardman’s latest book Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story has already sent shockwaves before its January 18 release, with extracts released ahead of the publish date.

The excerpts — released by the Daily Mail — details several royal rumours have been detailed, including the late Queen Elizabeth’s apparent fury over Harry’s baby name decision and her final moments before she died.

Here are some of the biggest bombshells that we know so far.

QUEEN’S ‘ANGERED’ BY HARRY AND MEGHAN CALLOVER LILIBET’S NAME

Hardman claims that the late Queen was “angered” by Harry and Meghan’s decision to name their daughter Lilibet after her birth in June 2021.

The affectionate nickname had stuck during the Queen’s childhood after she’d struggled to pronounce her own name, “Elizabeth.” It was used only by her late parents, her sister Princess Margaret, husband Prince Philip, and closest inner circle.

Hardman’s book alleges that the Queen not only didn’t give permission for the name to be used, but that according to a royal aide she was “as angry as I’d ever seen her” following the Sussex’s adamant claim that they had been granted permission to use her nickname for their daughter.

Shortly after Lilibet’s birth, rumours began circulating the Queen had not given prior permission for her name to be used, but a law firm representing Prince Harry and Meghan quickly fired off a statement to news organisations, including the BBC, suggesting the claim was false and defamatory.

“The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement – in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called,” the message read.

“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry maintain that they asked for the Queen’s blessing.

A new book claims Harry and Meghan Markle never asked the Queen for permission to name their daughter after her.

PALACE CONCERNED ABOUT HARRY BOOK

Hardman writes that not only is the Palace concerned about a second Prince Harry book, but they’re also on edge about Meghan Markle penning her own memoir.

Spare was published one year ago this month by Penguin Random House as part of a four-book deal with the Sussex’s.

And Prince Harry has said himself that he has enough material for a second volume of his best-selling memoir.

“For the Palace, the most worrying aspect of the book was the omission of large chunks of more recent events,” Hardman writes in his book.

“It did not go unnoticed that Harry and Meghan’s wedding, their married life, and their eventual departure from the royal world amounted to a small part — less than a fifth — of Prince Harry’s memoir.

“This suggested either a sequel or perhaps a memoir by Meghan in due course.”

KING CHARLES ‘EXASPERATED’ OVER PRINCE HARRY’S ACTIONS

King Charles feels “exasperated” by Prince Harry’s behaviour in recent years, but is “too busy to dwell” on the family drama, Hardman claims.

“Of course, the King is extremely sad about Harry and Meghan but there is a sense of exasperation, that he has done what he can and now he is King, there are many more things to think about,” Hardman writes, per the Daily Mail, who is serialising the biography ahead of its release.

He goes on to claim that Charles and William have refused to read Harry’s explosive memoir, Spare, which was released last January, and were instead simply briefed by aides on its main points.

QUEEN ELIZABETH’S FINAL MOMENTS

The book records the final moments of Queen Elizabeth, before she died aged 96 in Balmoral on September 8, 2022.

Her private secretary Sir Edward Young wrote in a memo about the moment of her death: “Very peaceful. In her sleep. Slipped away. Old age. She wouldn’t have been aware of anything. No pain.”

Princess Anne and the Queen’s senior dresser and friend Angela Kelly were with her in her final moments.

It also recounts how she left a sealed letter for Sir Edward in her final red box of paperwork, found by a footman at her deathbed. The contents have not been revealed.

King Charles at his mother’s funeral.

HOW CHARLES FOUND OUT HIS MOTHER DIED

King Charles gave a heartbreaking three-word reply the moment he was told his mum had died.

The new monarch, 75, was out picking mushrooms in the grounds of the Birkhall estate on Royal Deeside, as he attempted to “clear his head”, when he was summoned to Balmoral. He got behind the wheel of a Land Rover, alongside Camilla and their team and raced to be at the late Queen’s bedside – although it was too late.

Queen Elizabeth’s private secretary Sir Edward’s first duty was to tell Charles before anyone else could.

“There was no question of waiting for the car to pull up at Balmoral,” Hardman said. A senior official told him: “Imagine if there had been some accident or a holdup

along the way. It was essential that the new King was told before anyone else.”

MEGHAN TOLD NOT TO VISIT QUEEN ‘BY LUCK’

King Charles asked Harry not to bring Meghan to the Queen’s bedside by lying that the reason was because Princess Catherine wasn’t accompanying Prince William to the monarch’s bedside.

Harry only agreed not to bring his wife when he was told Princess Catherine also wouldn’t be there.

However, what Harry didn’t know was Princess Catherine actually chose to stay home in Windsor with the couple’s three children.

It was the start of a new term at a new school for the three siblings and the Princess of Wales decided that one parent should be with the children on such an important day, according to the excerpt.

“It was by luck rather than judgement, but it made it a lot easier to tell Harry he was coming alone,” a royal aide says in the new book.

Sources told Hardman that “like the late Duke of Edinburgh, she [Queen Elizabeth] did not like a queue of family wellwishers flocking to her bedside when ill.”

Charles convinced Harry not to bring Meghan to the Queen’s death bed, according to the book.

‘COMEDY OF ERRORS’ AT FUNERAL REHEARSAL

In the book, Hardman details how the only rehearsal for the Queen’s funeral as “a comedy of errors” and “out of step” from the start.

The procession reportedly separated from the coffin, different step speeds would be required and one of the monarch’s bodyguards went the wrong way and was nearly crushed.

“It was a minor miracle there were no major glitches on the funeral day itself,” Hardman writes.

WILLIAM INSISTED ON WALKABOUT WITH HARRY, MEGHAN

Prince William insisted on a royal walkabout with Prince Harry and Meghan after Queen Elizabeth’s death, despite it being “awkward”.

Hardman claims the walkabout was “very much William’s idea” because he felt it was the right thing to do for his grandmother – despite the awkwardness of the engagement.

“It was very much William’s idea,” Hardman writes.

“He had organised it in about two hours flat. He had been giving it a lot of thought and he said: ‘I know it’s awkward but isn’t it right in the context of my grandmother’s death? I know he asked a couple of other people, too.”

A member of the Wales’ team reportedly told the author the experience “wasn’t easy’ for either of the couples.

Prince William is claimed to have insisted on the royal walkabout after the funeral.

CAMILLA’S NICKNAME BEFORE BECOMING QUEEN

Queen Camilla was given the nickname of ‘Lorraine’ – a play on the French word for the Queen, “la reine” – by family and friends, before becoming Queen, the book says.

Hardman claims her family gave her the nickname Lorraine back when there seemed to be no chance she’d become Queen. Her grandchildren call her “Gaga.”

“Now, people are worried about upsetting the King. They know he can get very cross about quite minor things and they have yet to find out how he will react in certain situations,” Hardman writes.

“At the same time, they know that Queen Camilla is a strong voice of common sense in that regard.”

Originally published as Nine biggest bombshells from Robert Hardman’s new book on the royals