Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have responded to comments made in an upcoming royal book about the late Queen Elizabeth II and her relationship with the former Suits actress before her death in 2022.
In the new book, Betrayal: Power, Deceit And The Fight For The Future Of The Royal Family, a claim was made that the late Queen once revealed to a friend the Duchess of Sussex had "brainwashed" her husband.
The author, Tom Bower, was criticised by the famous couple for his "fixation" on them and their relationship with the royal family.
Further pages of the novel, which is out now, claim the Prince and Princess of Wales also considered Meghan "a threat" as tensions escalated before the Sussexes decided to leave Britain for a life in Montecito, California, with their young family.
In a statement issued on Saturday, 14 March, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan rebutted the author's suggestions and said he "crossed the line".
"Mr Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation," the statement read. It continued: "This is someone who has publicly stated, 'The monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,' language that speaks for itself.
"He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him."
© Getty ImagesIn extracts released on Friday, 13 March, the book also appeared to suggest King Charles's youngest son was "shocked" by the downfall of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor.
"The unpredicted and unimagined humiliation of Andrew shocked Harry," the author wrote in his book. He added: "Rightly, Harry fears that the future King William could remove all the Sussexes’ titles and effectively banish him from Britain."
Harry and Meghan head Down Under
The couple's statement comes after it was revealed they would be returning to Australia for the first time as private citizens following their royal tour in 2018. They visited the country for the Invictis Games, which were being held in Sydney that year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to land in Sydney and Melbourne in mid-April and will spend time catching up with some old connections and dipping back into previous ventures.
© Getty ImagesA spokesperson for the couple said: "Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will visit Australia in mid-April to take part in a number of private, business, and philanthropic engagements. Further details will be shared in due course."
While no exact details about their trip's itinerary have been released yet, it is understood that the 44-year-old mother-of-two has plans to return to the world of podcasting following the ending of her own show with Spotify, Archetypes, in November 2022.
