A shocking new book chronicling the details of the Sussex's royal fallout, a story detailing the Queen's supposed relief at Meghan Markle's absence from Prince Philip's funeral has been laid out bare.
On April 17, the Queen prepared to face the public on one of the saddest days of her life, as the death of Philip, her husband of 73 years, was marked.
In Tom Bower's biography, Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors, the Queen is reported to have told trusted aides: "thank goodness Meghan is not coming".
In an extract for the upcoming publication, seen by The Times, Prince Harry arrived alone in the UK for the occasion "knowing he is about to betray the Queen and the family".
The Queen is understood to have made her relief at Meghan's absence from Philip's funeral clear.
Image: PA
Mr Bower, detailing the Queen's preparations for the sombre day at St George's Chapel, tells of how the monarch expressed her relief in a "clear voice".
"To comply with Covid restrictions she would grieve alone inside the chapel. 'Thank goodness Meghan is not coming,' the monarch said in a clear voice to her trusted aides."
Meghan did not travel to the UK as the royals marked Philip's death due to her seven-month pregnancy.
Harry stood alongside family members ahead of the release of his Apple TV series based on mental health, where he openly criticised members of the Royal Family and the notion of the institution itself.
Bower details how in the film, The Me You Can't See, key royal family members Prince William, Prince Charles and the Queen were "cast as villains".
Prince Harry and the Duke of Cambridge were seen alongside each other at the funeral, a sight that has become increasingly rare following the Duke of Sussex's departure from royal duties.
Victoria Jones
He says: "Harry denounced William, whom he had previously praised as the only person he 'could trust', and dishonoured Charles, whom he had previously thanked for being so 'kind', for causing a cycle of 'genetic pain'.
"He had even criticised the Queen, despite saying she was 'hugely admired'. All were cast as villains responsible for his 'cycles of suffering' and 'unresolved anger'.
"He said of his family: 'I’ve seen behind the curtain. I’ve seen the business model. I know how this operation runs... I don’t want to be part of this.' Instead of being reconciled with his family, he had in effect monetised his anguish."
Tom Bower says Prince Harry's Apple TV show cast key members of the Royal Family as 'villains'.
Yui Mok
The Palace are said to have "struggled" with the idea of Harry criticising the Queen and his dead grandfather over their upbringing of their son, and his father, Charles.
The claims made in the extract, published by The Times, did not receive a comment from Buckingham Palace.
Tom Bower's book, titled 'Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the war between the Windsors', is set to be released on July 21.
The Duke of Sussex recently won the first stage of his libel claim against the publisher of The Mail on Sunday after a High Court judge ruled an article about the duke’s legal claim against the Home Office was defamatory.
Harry is suing Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) after the paper ran a story following the first hearing in the duke’s separate High Court claim over his security arrangements when he is in the UK.
The piece was published in February under the headline: “Exclusive: How Prince Harry tried to keep his legal fight with the government over police bodyguards a secret… then – just minutes after the story broke – his PR machine tried to put a positive spin on the dispute.”