Meghan Markle "wanted to be rejected" by Buckingham Palace so that she and Prince Harry could leave, a former staffer has claimed in a new book.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to step down as senior royals and move to California in January 2020.
In a statement at the time, Harry and Meghan said they intended to "work to become financially independent" while balancing their time between the UK and North America.
They went on to discuss their young son Archie and their plans to raise him with an "appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born".
A book written by royal correspondent Valentine Low now suggests that "nothing the palace could do was ever going to be good enough" to help the couple.
In an extract of Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, published by the Daily Mail, an ex-member of staff tells the author: "She was looking for examples of us failing her from the beginning.
"We were having to prove that the institution would bend over backwards to make her happy.
"It felt like that wasn't what she wanted, but that she wanted to be rejected."
Mr Low also writes: "A succession of decent people, all of whom had believed in Meghan and wanted to make her position work, came to be so disillusioned that they began to suspect that even her most heartfelt pleas for help were part of a deliberate strategy that had one end in sight — her departure.
"Perhaps, they say, nothing the palace could do was ever going to be good enough."
The latest claims come after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to California following the Queen's funeral.
The rift between the Sussexes and other members of the Royal Family has been seen in headlines over the past couple of years where Harry and Meghan have been critical of their life in the UK when talking to US media since their move.
They moved to the sunshine state in March 2020.
When US talk show host Ellen DeGeneres previously asked her what Harry loves about California, Meghan replied: "We're just happy."
She also said that Harry "loves" the weather and lifestyle in California.
Meghan further told the audience: "I love to cook, we'll be (at) home and just relax and sort of settle in. It's our second Thanksgiving (at) home (in) California, so it will be nice."
Courtiers: the Hidden Power Behind the Crown by Valentine Low will be published on October 6 by Headline Books (£20)
