Prince Harry’s fears that Prince William could strip Archie and Lilibet of their titles

The relationship between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, and Prince William and Kate, is explored in Tom Bower’s new book, Betrayal

rince Harry feared that his brother Prince William could show “no mercy” towards his family after Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his titles, a royal author has claimed.

In his new book, Betrayal: Power, Deceit And The Fight For The Future Of The Royal Family, Tom Bower explores the “split between the Houses of Sussex and Windsor”. Betrayal, which is published on 26 March, investigates whether the “broken bonds” between Prince William and Kate, and Harry and Meghan, can ever be repaired. A spokesperson for the Sussexes has denied the claims in the book, criticising the author for his “fixation” on the couple.

In one passage, the royal biographer describes Prince Harry’s anticipated reaction in the US to news that Andrew had been stripped of his titles on 30 October – and the realisation it meant his own royal status was “no longer invincible”.

It meant anything was possible in the future, including putting the titles of Harry’s children at risk. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle announced that Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, would use ‘Prince’ and ‘Princess’ titles in 2023.

Tom Bower writes: “The tremors of the unprecedented sanctions against Andrew must have shocked Harry. In public, he remained silent. In private, he realised that his own royal status was no longer invincible.

“Clearly, William was taking no prisoners. Once he was crowned as king, his brother might well show no mercy to him and Meghan. Insulted by all the criticism targeted from Montecito, Harry could anticipate that the Prince and Princess of Wales’s anger about Meghan’s misuse of her royal title for profit would tip the balance. William would undoubtedly rail against her disloyalty. He might even strip Archie and Lilibet of their titles.“

Archie and Lilibet’s titles

King Charles and Prince Harry agreed that the Duke of Sussex’s children should use their royal titles at the end of 2022, HELLO! exclusively revealed the following year.

Archie and Lilibet automatically became a Prince and Princess when their grandfather became King Charles III, but it was not immediately known whether they would use the titles.

© Netflix

Describing the period of time following Queen Elizabeth’s death in 2022, Bower writes: “The new King resisted the temptation to strip the couple of their titles and declare Harry an outcast. His mother would not have approved. But he did disinvite the Sussexes from a Buckingham Palace reception before the funeral for heads of state and their representatives, a thousand guests. ‘Only for working royals,’ Harry was told.

“Originally, the term had been invented to exclude the disgraced Prince Andrew from Buckingham Palace’s balcony. During the next few days, Charles sidelined his son’s

insistence that he sign the letters patent – official, legal documents – to formally create his children, Archie and Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, as Their Royal Highnesses Prince and Princess.

© @Meghan

“Charles also planned to amend the Regency Act, removing Harry’s status as a counsellor of state empowered to step in if the King was incapacitated. Without a British home, Harry would automatically lose his counsellor status.”

Denying the claims

Elsewhere in the book, Tom Bower discusses the relationship between Harry and his uncle Andrew, exploring the rising tension between them by the time of Charles’s coronation. In part, this was due to circulating reports that Andrew had scathingly dubbed Meghan an “opportunist”.

© Getty Images

In a statement issued on Saturday, 14 March, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan rebutted all the author’s suggestions and said he “crossed the line”.

“Mr Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation,” the statement read. It continued: “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.

“He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”