Publishers will release Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown by Valentine Low on October 6. Low is the royal correspondent for The Times of London. His book unveils the intrigue, ambition, and power players at Buckingham Palace. And Harry and Meghan are at the center of all of them.
Courtiers: Intrigue, Ambition, and the Power Players
Buckingham Palace launched an independent investigation in March 2021. It stemmed from royal staff complaining about Meghan bullying them.
But that should have surprised no one. After all, reports abounded about Meghan reducing even Duchess Kate to tears. Meghan recounted this episode during her infamous Oprah interview. But, in Courtiers, royal staff make clear she did so in gaslighting fashion.
Of course, “enquiring” minds wanted to know the gossipy findings of that investigation. But the Palace announced in June that they would “stay private.” The disappointment worldwide was palpable.
Was the queen protecting what little remained of Harry and Meghan’s reputation? That was my suspicion. And Low’s book vindicates it. That’s because it reads like a release of those findings by other means, and in narrative form. This, complete with barbs intended to land preemptive strikes at Harry’s dreaded memoir.
Courtiers: Harry and Meghan behaved like teenagers
To be clear, I don’t think the publication of this book has anything to do with the queen’s death. Courtiers conspired with Low to preempt the publication of Harry’s book. And everyone expected its release in mid to late October.
Granted, Harry and Meghan’s petulant behavior during the queen’s vigil did not help. For example, Harry wanted Meghan to attend the vigil on the night the queen died. Charles told him that would be inappropriate. But Harry threw a temper tantrum. He felt disloyal Meghan belonged at the bedside of the dying queen. Never mind that William felt loyal Kate did not.
Harry spent an hour pleading his case and missed the flight that flew other royals to the vigil. He ended up traveling alone – with TV cameras dramatizing his petulance. And the Palace punctuated the spectacle by announcing the queen’s death before he arrived to see her.
But this showed that Harry’s misguided sense of his wife’s royal entitlement knows no bounds. No doubt, courtiers thought this alone justified defying the queen by talking to Low.
I want also to express my love to Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas.
Some saw an olive branch when Charles said that in his first king’s speech. I saw a get lost! And that was complete with a smirk that said: Don’t let the palace gates hit you in the ass on the way out!
Charles delivered that kiss-off with sublime authority and deftness. It rivaled how Michael Corleone gave Fredo that kiss of death in The Godfather Part 2.
Courtiers: Meghan is a bully
Now comes this book by Low, which some might even think is a low blow. But I suspect he had the king’s consent. Only that explains so many courtiers talking to him.
So, without further ado, here are my 8 (the universal number of relationships) takeaways. The quotes are courtesy of the Daily Mail:
- Meghan raised red flags when she told one of Harry’s staff, six months before their engagement: “I think we both know I’m going to be one of your bosses soon.”
- Meghan handled Harry like a dog on a leash from early on. She demonstrated this when she threatened to break up with him. She was upset that he had yet to announce her as his girlfriend. “Harry was in a panic.” Another source said: ‘He was freaking out, saying, ‘She’s going to dump me.’” So he obeyed and has been doing so ever since.
- Courtiers said working for Harry and Meghan was “like working for a couple of teenagers.”
- Meghan bothered and berated a staffer while she was on a Friday dinner date. The staffer said: “Every 10 minutes, I had to go outside to be screamed at by her and Harry. It was ‘I can’t believe you’ve done this. You’ve let me down. What were you thinking?’ It went on for a couple of hours.”
- Meghan complained she “couldn’t believe she wasn’t getting paid.” That is, for having to shake so many hands during walkabouts while on royal engagements.
- Companies kept sending Meghan free clothes, perfume, jewelry, candles, and other gifts. And she resented the royal protocol that prevented her from accepting them. Never mind common knowledge that those companies were using her for promotional purposes.
- Meghan reduced Kate to tears over the hem of a little bridesmaid’s dress. But that was just a dress rehearsal. She and Harry topped that when he was “downright rude” to staff. They were upset when staffers refused to break protocol to provide a diamond tiara for her wedding rehearsal. But this provoked no less a person than the queen to summon Harry for a private dressing down.
- Meghan took particular delight in humiliating female staff in open meetings. And she often did so to the point where “Young women were broken…” And that, from a purported feminist icon. But, during their interview, Oprah played mediator in this royal saga. So perhaps she will invite these staffers on her show to tell their side of the story.
Again, I suspect the palace kept the findings of its investigation private to protect Harry and Meghan. But courtiers probably felt compelled to out their palace intrigue, ambition, and power struggles. Not to mention their brazen lies…