Advertisement
- A new book claims Meghan Markle’s 2017 Vanity Fair profile upset her because it mentioned Prince Harry.
- Markle, 40, was reportedly upset that the profile didn’t focus on her philanthropy.
- According to the book, she was told to avoid certain topics before the interview, including Prince Harry.
Meghan Markle and Britain’s royals were upset after her 2017 Vanity Fair profile focused on her relationship with Prince Harry, according to a new book published by The Times of London.
The excerpt is from British biographer Tom Bower’s upcoming book Revenge: Meghan, Harry, and the War between the Windsors, which goes on sale Thursday. According to Bower, Prince Harry, 37, and Markle, 40, gave Vanity Fair a list of hot topics to avoid ahead of the interview: Donald Trump, race, their relationship and him.
The book states that the interview with Vanity Fair reporter Sam Kashner should focus on Markle’s philanthropy and the 100th episode of the US series Suits. According to the book, Kashner once asked Markle about their relationship, not expecting her to answer, but she did.
Tom Bower’s book claims that Meghan Markle was told to avoid certain topics before the interview.
Samir Hussein/WireImage
“Tell me about Harry,” Kashner said, according to the excerpt, to which Markle replied, “We’re a couple. We are in love.”
She added: “I’m sure there will come a time when we will come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope people will understand that this is our time. This is for us. It’s a part that makes it so special that it’s only ours. But we are happy. I love great love stories.”
Soon after, Vanity Fair published the profile and featured Markle on its cover with the caption, “She’s just mad at Harry! Meghan Markle and the sudden glare of the limelight that comes with being Prince Harry’s girl.”
The Vanity Fair profile sparked a reaction from the British media and royals, according to the book.
“Meghan’s unprecedented outrage caught Buckingham Palace by surprise – and electrified the British media. The interview triggered sensational reactions: Meghan had used her relationship to advertise herself. The Hollywoodization of the royal family had sealed Meghan’s fate as Harry’s fiancée,” read the excerpt, according to The Times.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.
Karwai Tang/Getty Images
When Markle saw copies of her profile before publication, the book claims she called her PR team at Sunshine Sachs and “hysterically” described Buckingham Palace’s “anger” over the headline.
According to the book, Sunshine Sachs initially wanted Vanity Fair to meet Markle’s request to portray her as a philanthropist and activist.
“Sunshine Sachs had requested that the magazine meet Meghan’s requirement to portray her as a philanthropist and activist without addressing one issue: Vanity Fairs Unscrupulous researchers have been unable to find evidence of their global philanthropy and activism,” the excerpt said, according to The Times.
Meghan Markle was upset because the article mentioned Prince Harry and didn’t focus on her philanthropy, according to Bower’s book.
Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images
The book alleges that Vanity Fair fact-checkers had trouble verifying some of Markle’s anecdotes, including how she lobbied P&G to change a slogan and received a response from former First Lady Hillary Clinton.
Representatives from Markle and Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.
In the same book, Bower also claimed that Markle told Kashner they couldn’t be friends after the profile was published. He also wrote that Queen Elizabeth was relieved when Markle – who was pregnant with their daughter Lilibet at the time – would not attend Prince Philip’s funeral.
