Relations between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and senior royals are said to be "near rock bottom" with the couple reportedly snubbing an invitation from King Charles to spend Christmas with the rest of the Royal Family.
Sources told The Mirror that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have "no plans" to join up with the royals, including King Charles III, Prince William and his wife Kate, when they gather at their Sandringham Estate in Norfolk over the festive period. It will be the family's first Christmas since the Queen's death.
The alleged snub comes ahead of the hotly anticipated release of Harry's memoir on January 10 next year. The book is entitled Spare, which is a reference to Harry, 38, growing up in the shadow of his older brother and heir to the throne.
It would appear that a "thawing of relations", which insiders said had been hoped for since the Queen's passing, has failed to come to fruition. Instead, one source revealed that the royals had been “completely caught by surprise” by the title of Harry's memoir and further details of how the duke would deliver “raw, unflinching honesty” in the book as he is expected to lift the lid on some of the most controversial elements of his royal life.
One source added: “This book could spell the end for any relationship Harry wants to have with his family, it’s desperately sad. Everyone is bracing themselves for yet another fraught and frantic period at the mercy of the Sussexes.”
Harry and Meghan, 41, told US talk show host Oprah Winfrey that a senior royal made a racist comment about the skin colour of their then unborn son Archie last year in an interview that sent shockwaves throughout the Royal Family. Harry also discussed the “genetic pain” of his childhood and troubled relationship with his father and brother.
A key part of his life is the break-up of his parents’ marriage and the death of his mother Diana in a Paris car crash in 1997. It was highlighted in a promotion by publisher Penguin Random House, adding: “For Harry, this is his story at last.”
He is being paid more than £36 million for a three-book deal, securing a £20 million advance.
It is understood there has been little contact between Harry and his family since he returned to California. But it is believed he talked to his father after the Queen’s death about the possibility of titles of prince and princess for his children Archie, three, and Lilibet, one.
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