Royal staff lift lid on what Meghan, Harry, Kate and William are really like
A new book has given a rare insight into the real lives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their time as royals, as well as William and Kate's marriage. Here, we round up some of the most explosive claims
A brand new royal book claims to disclose huge secrets from within the four walls of the royal palace.
Royal servants and staff who waited on Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, and Princess Kate during their time as the Fab Four have shared a glimpse into their royal bubble and real lives behind the scenes. And the claims are explosive - from the Duchess' very American mannerisms fuelling a shock rumour to Kate's role in calming William's 'tantrums'.
According to Tom Quinn, nobody knows the Royal Family like the people who feed and clothe them, organise their days, and attend to their every need.
And in his explosive new book, Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, which has been excerpted in The Times, Quinn lifts the lid on what many insiders observed during their time waiting on Harry and Meghan before they sensationally quit royal life. While some warmed to the Suits actress instantly, others found day-to-day challenges with the modern-day duchess. Light is shed on Kate and William's marriage too, including heartbreaking details about the future King's childhood.
Royal author Tom Quinn shares a glimpse into the real lives of Harry, Meghan, William and Kate (Image:
PA)Meghan's wild perception of royal life before HarryThe new book says that Meghan's American upbringing made her sheltered from the realities of British royal life. Quinn writes that when Meghan discovered that Harry was only worth about £20million, she "quickly realised" that she needed to "reassess other assumptions she'd made about this strange new family".
As one royal staff member put it, "She expected a billionaire and she got a millionaire." A member of her former team is also quoted as saying that the actress "really disliked the hierarchy". Giving an example of senior royals getting jealous of each other's materialistic goods, the ex-staff member said: "Meghan thought they behaved like babies."
Kate calms William's 'tantrums'Kate is said to play an important role in calming down William when he gets "fractious" and has "tantrums". Quinn writes that William follows in the footsteps of his father, King Charles, who "both get irritated very quickly", according to a former member of staff, who said they are "very picky" but only because it comes "naturally" to them.
According to the book, if things aren't in order for William, he can get grumpy, which is where Kate steps in. The source added: "I don't know where William would be without Kate - she hasn't had everything done for her throughout her life, so she calms him down when he gets a bit fractious. She said he sometimes has to be treated as her fourth child'."
It's not the first time Quinn has spoken about William and Kate's relationship, as he once told The Mirror that like any couple, the Waleses do sometimes argue. He said: "They do have rows. It's not a perfect marriage. They have terrific rows." But he reassured that the quarrels never become vicious and instead they "throw cushions at each other. It's always kept under control".
Meghan's incredibly awkward first meeting with royalsBefore joining the Royal Family, Meghan was used to being far more independent and in control. But she soon realised that it wasn't traditional royal protocol to 'grab the bull by the horns', according to the book. In early meetings with the new duchess and members of staff, Meghan was "so confident" that it seemed as though she wanted to run the meetings rather than listen and learn, one of her former team claimed.
Kate and William were delighted to welcome Meghan and thought she was a breath of fresh air, the book writes (Image:
PA)Kate and William's delight at first meeting MeghanBefore their close bond crumbled, William and Kate were incredibly excited to welcome Meghan into the fold, Quinn says. The author recounts a surprisingly lighthearted moment between Meghan and William, allegedly witnessed by a junior staffer who saw them "doing a jokey parody of the Fifties jiving together". One staffer recalled the Waleses thinking Meghan was a "breath of fresh air" at the beginning.
William and Kate weren't the only ones to initially welcome Meghan with open arms. A courtier previously told the Daily Mail's royal reporter Richard Eden that "the Queen believed that Meghan would be a breath of fresh air and a great asset to the Monarchy."
They said: "The Queen fast-tracked her entry into the Royal Family, inviting Meghan to join her at a service to mark Commonwealth Day – her first official engagement with the Queen – two months before the wedding. It was another clear indication that Her Majesty valued Meghan and wanted her to be seen as a part of the family without delay."
Meghan's 'cheek kissing fuelled flirting rumour'Meghan's affectionate side has always stood out in stark contrast to the Royal Family's formalities. But her hugging and cheek kissing was wrongly misinterpreted by staff as her 'flirting' with William, according to insiders quoted in the book. Quinn writes that her tactile manner made William feel "uncomfortable", as Meghan would allegedly hug him almost every time they saw each other.
The hugging and cheek-kissing fuelled gossip among staff "that Meghan was flirting with William, which she was obviously not, but the tense atmosphere caused by all the touchy-feeliness (and the resultant gossip) deepened the rift between the brothers", the book claims. Both Meghan and Harry have previously stated that William and Kate found her love of hugging 'jarring'.
In their Netflix docuseries, Meghan said she did not know the royals' formal way carries through behind closed doors. She said: "I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward-facing way of being and then you close the door and think, 'OK, we can relax now'. But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me."
Kate, William and Charles left Meghan feeling hurtThe book claims that Meghan's "warm, friendly hug-everyone approach", caused tension to develop between William and Harry, with problems arising "fairly early on". Quinn claims Kate, William and Charles "tended to flinch when she moved in for a hug", as they weren't used to so much affection between royals. He says California native Meghan was "understandably hurt".
Meghan has always been a hugger and found it difficult to accept the royal former way (Image:
PA) Quinn claims that Meghan's tactile manner made William feel uncomfortable (Image:
PA)William's heartbreaking admission about childhoodLife was completely different for William and Kate growing up. While Kate experienced all of the normalities of an ordinary family, William grew up in the spotlight and his family dynamic was broken following his parents' split and his mother's tragic death. Quinn writes about William's "needier side" in the book and reveals a heartbreaking admission a former maid allegedly made about his childhood.
The staffer claimed Kate had to explain many of the things parents do outside of the Royal Family and even showed William how to "give the children a piggyback". They said: "William said very quietly, 'My father never gave me a piggyback'."
Moment Harry realised he was a 'spare'The book suggests Harry didn't realise he was a 'spare' until "well into his marriage" with Meghan, who Quinn believes "convinced herself he was being treated as completely unimportant". The heir and the spare has long been a common way to describe the monarch and their sibling, meaning Harry was born a spare. But Quinn claims the title took on a whole new meaning when Meghan opened Harry's eyes to a new perspective.
He writes: "The strongly held view among current and former royal staff is that Meghan felt she was standing up for her husband, telling 'her truth' and encouraging him to tell his, but this was seen as deeply disruptive."
Meghan's nickname with staffersMeghan, whose birth name is Rachel, chose to go by her middle name long ago. While Harry publicly calls his wife Meg and M, staffers had many nicknames for the duchess. According to Quinn, "her nickname for a while was the Duchess of Difficult, but she had other, friendlier nicknames, including Mystic Meg, while came about because she was so new agey, so woke, about so many things".
It was previously revealed that Charles had his own nickname for Meghan during her time as a working royal, with the King recognising her resilience. He affectionately called her Tungten, due to her being 'tough and unbending', it was claimed. Tungsten refers to a metal in the periodic table, which is known for its high melting point and core strength.
Yes Ma'am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants by Tom Quinn will be published out on February 18.
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