Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have endured numerous challenges since departing from Royal duties. The duo’s public standing has plummeted in recent times, and they remain distanced from the Royal household – despite Harry’s latest reconciliation efforts.
Arguably one of the most damaging episodes for the pair occurred in January when Vanity Fair published their devastating exposé on the Sussexes, entitled ‘American Hustle’. The extensive 8,000-word investigation detailed what life was reportedly like ‘Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Big Business Ambitions, 5 Years After Their Royal Exit’.
The piece featured concerning allegations about the supposed working conditions under the Sussexes, grievances from their Montecito neighbours, and the explosive claim that someone from Meghan’s staff had contacted a publisher to “gauge interest” in a post-divorce memoir. The pair refuted these allegations.
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Following the article’s explosive impact, former Royal butler Paul Burrell offered his perspective on the accusations – and on Harry personally. Speaking on behalf of Prime Casino, Paul – who served as Princess Diana’s butler from 1987 until her passing in 1997 – remarked: “Vanity Fair is a prestigious title so to print such a damning article about Harry and Meghan is quite a precedent.”
He added: “I know from firsthand experience how difficult Harry can be. I know how petulant he can be and how spoiled he is, because I’ve experienced that myself. He’s always lived in a bubble.”, reports the Mirror.
Paul also expressed his disappointment over Harry’s new ‘celebrity’ persona. “Harry and Meghan have a very privileged lifestyle. Harry has always had that and Meghan has long aspired for it. But now they share that lifestyle,” he said.
“I always circle back to the fact that Harry’s mother taught him long ago that the price for a privileged lifestyle is public service. Harry seems to have forgotten this lesson now he lives a celebrity Hollywood lifestyle that’s totally different from his royal one.”
This comes after another former Royal butler disputed previous claims made by Harry about King Charles and Camilla’s wedding.
Having served as a butler in Highgrove for seven years between 2004 and 2011, Grand Harrold got to know a different side of the Royal family, and is now preparing to release his memoir.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Harrold questioned Harry’s claims in Spare that he and his brother William pleaded with their father not to get married. Harry wrote in his book Spare: “We support you, we said. We endorse Camilla, we said. ‘Just please don’t marry her. Just be together, Pa’.”
However, despite Harry’s objections in the book, Harrold remembered William and Harry decorating their father’s car with ‘Just Married’ signs with both of them chasing after the car as the newlyweds drove away following their wedding reception.
And he claims what he witnessed was completely different from Harry’s account in his tell-all book.
The former Royal employee stated: “The four of them, I promise you, got on so well. And that’s why I don’t understand what Harry’s said, I really don’t understand.
“Because I saw them. I saw them having dinners together, I saw them having drinks together, I saw them going to parties together.”
Harrold also remembered how William, his then-girlfriend Kate, and Prince Harry would regularly spend time in each other’s company whilst he worked at Highgrove, particularly noting the tight relationship between Catherine and Harry.
“They involved him,” Harrold revealed. “He [Harry] used to go out with Kate. William would be away and Kate and Harry would be off doing stuff together. They’d go shopping together, they’d go to pubs together.
“I think when people say ‘oh he was left out’, he really wasn’t. But also he was with Chelsy [Davy, Harry’s former girlfriend]. Chelsy was always around. And Chelsy and Kate got on really well.”
-Credit:PA