Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s team dubbed themselves the Sussex Survivors' Club and branded the Duchess of Sussex a "narcissistic sociopath", a new book claims.
Written by The Times' royal correspondent Valentine Low, Courtiers: the Hidden Power Behind the Crown claims to lift the lid on what happened behind palace doors in the run-up to their departure.
Relations between the couple and their team reportedly deteriorated with tensions flaring after Harry told members of the press who had been invited to cover the royal tour of the South Pacific: “Thanks for coming, even though you weren’t invited.”
The book claims: "This was spectacularly rude — and incorrect. The media had been invited to cover the tour. Later, Harry’s staff told him how badly his remarks had gone down. He replied: 'Well, you shouldn’t have made me do it.' Harry’s petulant behaviour revealed much about the couple’s deteriorating relationship with their own staff.
"So bad did things eventually become that Harry and Meghan’s team would later refer to themselves as the Sussex Survivors’ Club."
The book adds: "Sources say the team came up with a damning epithet for Meghan: a 'narcissistic sociopath'. They also reportedly said on repeated occasions: 'We were played.'"
Another revelation regarded the final few months the Sussexes spent within The Firm and Harry and William’s relationship.
The book claims that Harry turned down meeting with his brother to discuss their poor relationship with the rest of the family because he was “concerned” it would be leaked to the press.
The new Prince of Wales is said to have only realised Harry and Meghan’s unhappiness when he saw comments made in the ITV documentary ‘Harry & Meghan: An African Journey', which was broadcast in October, 2019.
It was then that he tried to arrange a meeting. But Harry is believed to have finally turned down the approach after considering it, and then a few months later the Sussexes moved abroad, citing a lack of support from the Royal Family.
Harry asked who would know about it, to which William said his private secretary in order to clear the time in his diary, it is alleged.
“At that point, Harry said don’t come. He was so concerned that William’s team would leak the visit to the press that he would rather they did not come than risk it getting into the papers,” says the book.
The Mirror has contacted Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's representatives for comment.
