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‘Total hypocrites’: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle slammed over phone call to King Charles

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been accused of leaking their phone call to King Charles on his birthday as more royal “truth bombs” are about to be revealed in an explosive new book.

Devastating details of Prince Harry and William's fight

Prince Harry’s birthday phone call to King Charles may have sparked a reconciliation between father and son — but palace insiders are said to be less than amused.

Details of the phone call that Prince Harry made to wish his father a happy 75th birthday were leaked to the UK’s Daily Telegraph, including the fact that Meghan Markle jumped on the call.

It was also reported that the Sussex children — Archie, 4, and Lilibet, 2 — sent their grandfather a video message of them singing “Happy Birthday.”

Prince Harry’s relationship with his father has thawed but he remains estranged from his brother, Prince William. Picture: Getty Images
Prince Harry’s relationship with his father has thawed but he remains estranged from his brother, Prince William. Picture: Getty Images

All in all, a source told the outlet that it marked a “notable shift” in relations between the king, his second son and his daughter-in-law.

A palace insider, however, told the New York Post that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were “total hypocrites” for not keeping the phone call quiet.

“Harry and Meghan fight for privacy when it suits them, and yet the minute Harry gets on the phone to the King, it’s in a newspaper,” a royal insider told the outlet.

Prince Harry was kept “in the dark” about the Queen’s ailing health. Picture: Getty Images
Prince Harry was kept “in the dark” about the Queen’s ailing health. Picture: Getty Images

Despite this, a Sussex source countered to the Post that the couple had absolutely nothing to do with the leak of the “warm” call — which is thought to be the estranged royals’ first phone chat in six months following the publication of Prince Harry’s controversial memoir Spare, in which he was critical of his stepmother, Queen Camilla.

The 39-year-old prince also plans to speak to King Charles next week, it was reported.

“Of course Harry wants to have a better relationship with Charles. He is his father after all,” the insider told the New York Post.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were at an event in Manchester two days before the Queen’s death. Picture: AFP
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were at an event in Manchester two days before the Queen’s death. Picture: AFP

The last time they are believed to have been together was at the king’s coronation in May, where Prince Harry made a blink-and-you‘ll-miss-it appearance. And the last time they were pictured together was more than a year ago at the Queen’s funeral.

However, the budding rapprochement may well be put in jeopardy with the upcoming publication of Sussex cheerleader Omid Scobie’s new book, Endgame with an excerpt published in People magazine this week revealing Prince Harry was “kept in the dark” about the Queen’s failing health in the hours before she died in September 2022.

The phone call between King Charles and Prince Harry was said to be “warm”. Picture: Getty Images
The phone call between King Charles and Prince Harry was said to be “warm”. Picture: Getty Images

HARRY, MEGHAN ‘KEPT IN DARK' OVER QUEEN

Prince Harry, seen as a “threat to the Crown”, was kept in the dark over the Queen’s ailing health as the royal family pushed to keep Meghan Markle away from the late monarch’s final moments, according to a bombshell new book.

Omid Scobie, considered the unofficial biographer of Meghan and Harry after chronicling “Megxit” in Finding Freedom, released an excerpt of his upcoming book Endgame that detailed the final hours of the Queen’s life, while revealing why “there’s no going back”.

As well as Harry being kept in the dark and viewed as a threat, other claims include allegations that the Duke of Sussex was “crushed” by his father’s behaviour at the time of the Queen’s death while Prince William believes his brother has been “brainwashed by an army of therapists”.

There’s ‘no going back’ for Prince William and Prince Harry. Picture: Getty Images
There’s ‘no going back’ for Prince William and Prince Harry. Picture: Getty Images

It is also claimed that Prince Harry found about the Queen’s death from a breaking news alert via the BBC News app and that a furious Prince William described Harry as a “defector” for leaving royal life.

Despite King Charles’ willingness to bury the hatchet after a warm 75th birthday phone call, Scobie says Prince William has hardened into an even colder indifference.

“I was talking to a source quite early on in the process, and they called Harry a ‘defector’,” Scobie told People Magazine.

“These were two men who once upon a time were firmly aligned in their outlook. One of them had to move on to also protect the crown.”

“In the eyes of some within the institution, Harry is a threat to the crown. His freedom to exert his own thinking outside of the confines of the institution has made him the enemy.”

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It was that distrust across the Atlantic that left Prince Harry in the dark about the Queen’s rapidly failing health, with no idea that Buckingham Palace was planning the late monarch’s final hours.

According to the excerpt published in People, Prince Harry received an unknown caller while he was in London with his wife in September 2022.

“You should answer it,” Meghan said. On the other end of the phone was then-Prince Charles urging his son to make his way to Scotland immediately.

Despite reaching out to Prince William, Harry was completely ignored and left to fend for himself in making his way to Balmoral.

Prince Harry arrived to Scotland after the Queen passed away. Picture: Getty Images
Prince Harry arrived to Scotland after the Queen passed away. Picture: Getty Images

He found out about the Queen’s death via a BBC news report after landing on the tarmac.

“It was upsetting to witness,” said a source close to the Sussexes. “[Harry] was completely by himself on this.”

Meghan, meanwhile, was left behind in London at the urging of King Charles, who cited “protocol”.

“They just didn’t want Meghan there,” a former Palace aide told Scobie. Meghan, a friend added, “could sense she wasn’t wanted.”

By the time Prince Harry made it to the Queen’s bedside, his brother and father were already gone.

Meghan Markle “wasn’t wanted” by the Queen’s deathbed. Picture: AFP
Meghan Markle “wasn’t wanted” by the Queen’s deathbed. Picture: AFP

“When he arrived at Balmoral, Princess Anne warmly greeted him and led him to the Queen’s room, where he spent a quiet moment privately paying his respects,” Scobie wrote.

“He was glad to have had a private moment to say goodbye to his grandmother, but there was no point in sticking around. With no offer to return with William and the others in the morning (all of his texts, including a thoughtful message about the loss of their grandmother, continued to be ignored), Harry booked his own British Airways ticket on the first available departing flight.”

The Duke of Sussex at Aberdeen Airport as he travels back to London following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire
The Duke of Sussex at Aberdeen Airport as he travels back to London following the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire

The book claims the Queen would not have wanted her grandson to be treated in such a manner.

“Harry was crushed,” the excerpt reads. “His relationship with the Queen was everything to him. She would have wanted him to know before it went out to the world.

“They could have waited just a little longer, it would have been nothing in the grand scheme of things, but no one respected that at all.”

Prince William and Prince Harry walk behind the Queen’s coffin during the procession for the Lying-in State. Picture: WPA Pool/Getty Images
Prince William and Prince Harry walk behind the Queen’s coffin during the procession for the Lying-in State. Picture: WPA Pool/Getty Images

In other bombshell claims, the book outlines how Harry stepped down from royal life as he wanted to think freely.

“His freedom to exert his own thinking outside of the confines of the institution has made him the enemy,” Scobie writes.

The book also delves into Harry’s relationship with his brother Prince William, which is said to be at an all-time low.

William said he no longer even recognises his own brother, a source told Scobie.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the 2023 Invictus Games. Picture: Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the 2023 Invictus Games. Picture: Getty Images

The explosive allegations come amid claims that morale at Prince Harry’s Invictus Games is at an all-time low after two top chiefs were sacked.

According to The Sun, CEO Peter Lawless and Chief Commercial Officer Bill Cooper were dismissed “for no apparent reason”.

Meanwhile, Meghan Markle was seen stepping out for lunch and a spot of shopping in Montecito with a friend while wearing $4000 worth of clothes and accessories.

KATE REVEALS LOUIS USES ‘FEELINGS WHEEL’

It was business as usual for the Princess of Wales as she hosted a symposium where the findings of new research from her Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood were unveiled.

During her presentation, Catherine told TV presenter Fearne Cotton how her youngest son Prince Louis and his classmates use a “feelings wheel” to express their emotions.

The Princess of Wales wears an outfit by NZ-born designer Emilia Wickstead. Picture: Getty Images
The Princess of Wales wears an outfit by NZ-born designer Emilia Wickstead. Picture: Getty Images

The royal mother-of-three, dressed in an elegant Emilia Wickstead purple suit, said her five-year-old son had taken part in her study for early years development.

“Louis’ class, they came back with a feelings wheel, it’s really good,” she said.

Catherine, Princess of Wales arrives at the Shaping Us National Symposium at the Design Museum in London. Picture: Getty Images
Catherine, Princess of Wales arrives at the Shaping Us National Symposium at the Design Museum in London. Picture: Getty Images

“These are five or six-year-olds, and going with names or pictures of a colour that represents how they feel that day, so there is a real keenness in school particularly to get involved in conversations.”

Catherine later delivered a keynote speech at the occasion at the Design Museum in London, attended by child and adult specialists and global thinkers.

In her address, she said: “We must acknowledge and address the root cause of some of today’s toughest social challenges and work together to find better answers.”

Originally published as ‘Total hypocrites’: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle slammed over phone call to King Charles

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Original URL: https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/threat-to-the-crown-prince-harry-and-meghan-markle-kept-in-the-dark-and-away-from-queen/news-story/5847f4c4dfd2ab02506b60ae38b88b0a