King Charles was "criticised" by senior members of the royal family over his "reticence" when dealing with Prince Harry and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, a new book claims.
In Betrayal, which was published last Thursday, Tom Bower describes the monarch as "dithering" when it came to making decisions about his son and younger brother – before Prince William was forced to intervene.
Harry and Meghan Markle have denied all claims in the book, saying the author "crossed a line" in his "fixation" on the couple. Andrew, meanwhile, who has long faced scrutiny over his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, has continuously denied all allegations against him.
In his book, Tom Bower describes the 24-hour period before King Charles's coronation on 6 May 2023. Charles, 77, was under pressure as "many Britons were appalled by the distasteful spectacle of Andrew and Harry's behaviour" but had failed to "resolve" the situation. For this, he was criticised by unnamed, but "senior", members of The Firm, the author claims.
The biographer writes: "Charles was criticised by some senior members of the Establishment for failing to resolve conclusively the embarrassments presented by Harry and Andrew. His reticence weakened the Crown’s reputation. By failing to consider properly the consequences of the princes’ actions for the future of the monarchy, Charles rightly questioned his own and Camilla’s popularity. Public opinion mattered."
Growing tensions
Harry, 41, had recently stepped down as a senior member of the royal family and moved to the US with his wife, Meghan Markle. At the time, his relationship with his family was becoming increasingly fractured, especially after the Sussexes' interview with Oprah while Prince Philip was in hospital in 2021.
Harry was forced to arrive at Westminster Abbey for the King's coronation with his disgraced uncle, Andrew, who stepped down from public duties following his disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis in 2019.
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesIn September 2025, Andrew and Sarah Ferguson joined the royal family for the Duchess of Kent's funeral – their final appearance before retreating from the public eye altogether.
The following month, emails from Andrew to Epstein were revealed by the Mail on Sunday, leading King Charles to take action.
Bower describes Charles as "dithering" and in charge of a "seemingly ruddlerless court that was ill-equipped to manage his brother". But when "William heaped pressure on his father", Andrew finally surrendered his titles – meaning he would no longer be known as Prince or the Duke of York.
© Getty ImagesA controversial book
Betrayal explores the fractured relationship between the House of Sussex and House of Windsor, and asks whether the bonds between Harry and Meghan and the rest of the family can ever be repaired.
One passage of the novel claims that the Prince and Princess of Wales considered Meghan a "threat" as tensions escalated before the Sussexes decided to leave Britain for a life in Montecito, California, with their young family.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesHowever, in a statement issued on Saturday, 14 March, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan rebutted the author's suggestions.
"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."
