EXCLUSIVE: Harry and Meghan ‘especially hurt’ by latest brutal takedown for clear reason

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been slated in two devastating exposés that take aim at their charity work and businesses, but one royal expert believes these attacks have been particularly disastrous for the couple

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been the target of a series of blistering attacks this week: first from royal author Tom Bower in his new book, and then by Variety, who launched a damning attack on the Sussexes partnership with Netflix.

The Duke and Duchess are the main target of Bower’s new royal book titled Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family, which was serialised by The Times, and detailed numerous claims about Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the Royal Family, as well as how they have navigated life since leaving the Firm and moving to California.

Just days after the serialisation hurled accusations such as how Queen Camilla told a friend that Harry had been ‘brainwashed’ by Meghan, a tell-all from a group of Netflix insiders told Variety that the Sussex’s relationship with Netflix is in jeopardy.

Harry and Meghan have not stayed quiet during the influx of accusations against them, issuing a damning statement against Tom Bower’s book. And according to former BBC royal correspondent Jennie Bond, their statement spoke volumes.

Jennie told the Mirror: “Whatever the truth behind Tom Bower’s explosive account of the continuing tensions between the Sussexes and the Windsor household, one thing is for sure: his words have hit a very raw nerve.

The royal expert examined how the book took aim at “Harry’s two great passions: his wife and the Invictus Games”, explaining why the Sussexes felt the need to issue such a blistering statement.

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Harry and Meghan issued a blistering statement towards author Tom Bower(Image: Getty Images)

“For Harry, any attack on his wife is treason and provokes a visceral response: he will defend her to the end of the earth. And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Jennie said.

As for the takedown from Variety, Jennie believes the article would’ve hurt Harry and Meghan, as the publication is renowned for their connections to Hollywood, while the Sussexes are seeming to focus on their celebrity brand

Jennie said: “Given that Harry and Meghan are now pretty much regarded as celebrities rather than royal, the brutal takedown by Variety will hurt. It is, after all, Hollywood‘s entertainment bible and as such it carries a lot of influence. The criticism of the couple – and particularly of Meghan – appears to be gleaned from multiple sources, which does suggest there’s some truth in it.”

The royal expert added that the couple would be feeling deflated from the spate of attacks, given how such a damning report into their business could possibly hurt Meghan’s own ventures, such as As Ever, which has just broken free of their deal with Netflix.

“It must have been a hard read for the Sussexes,” Jennie said. “I’m sure they’re extremely annoyed, rather hurt and pretty fed up, but I think Meghan is a real fighter and she’s doing everything she can to make her As Ever brand a success. I think she’ll probably succeed.”

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Jennie added that it is unlikely that the Royal Family would be keeping up with the articles written about Harry and Meghan, but would have one scathing thought if they were to see their fight to hold onto their public reputation.

“I don’t think the Royal Family will take much notice of Tom Bower‘s book or of the Variety article,” she said. “I truly believe they have more to think about and deal with than Harry and Meghan‘s perceived popularity problem. But, if they do see the headlines, a natural reaction would be to think ‘Well, you’ve made your bed, now lie in it’.”