Prince Harry is firing back after author Tom Bower alleged in his tell-all book that Queen Camilla once accused him of being “brainwashed” by his wife, Meghan Markle.
“Mr. Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation,” a Sussex spokesperson told People on Saturday, March 14. “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.’”
The Sussexes responded to excerpts of former BBC journalist Bowers’ Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family being serialized by London’s The Times on Friday, March 13. The shocking claims in Betrayal include an alleged incident in which Queen Camilla — Harry’s stepmother — confided in a friend about her belief that the prince had been “brainwashed” against his family.
Us Weekly has reached out to representatives for the Sussexes and Buckingham Palace for comment.
Betrayal also alleges that Prince Harry, 41, distanced himself from his family and longtime friends once he started dating Markle, 44, whom he married in May 2018. (Prince Harry and Markle are parents to two children: Prince Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, 6, and Princess Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, 4.)
“[Bower] has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met,” a Sussex spokesperson insisted. “Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
Elsewhere in Betrayal, Bower references criticism of Prince Harry’s 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler, Canada. The athletic competition is held every two years as a way to showcase the enduring spirit of military personnel injured in combat.
The author writes about supposed complaints that the 2025 Invictus Games were centered more around Prince Harry and Markle’s public appearances than the competition itself. Some observers also allegedly took issue with athletes living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health conditions competing against people with physical conditions.
“It is disappointing to see The Times give prominence to commentary that appears driven by a long-established agenda rather than a genuine understanding of the Invictus Games and the community it supports,” an Invictus Games spokesperson told Us via a written statement on Saturday.
“The Foundation exists to support the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans from around the world,” the spokesperson continued. “Attempts to question the legitimacy of competitors or diminish the experiences of those living with both physical injuries and invisible wounds such as PTSD are deeply disrespectful to the men and women the Games were created for. The focus should remain where it belongs — on the courage, recovery and camaraderie of those who have served.”
Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in a partnership with Britain’s Ministry of Defence in 2014 after he served in the British Army for ten years. The next Invictus Games will be held in Birmingham, England, in 2027.
In 2020, Prince Harry and Markle announced that they were stepping back from their royal duties to relocate to North America. After initially moving to Canada in early 2020, the couple eventually settled in Montecito, California, later that same year.
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