Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, issued a sharply worded response to Tom Bower, the author of a new book on Britain’s royal family, after excerpts appeared in The Times of London.
In the statement released on Saturday, Harry and Meghan said the book’s author has “cross[ed] the line from criticism into fixation,” and described Bower’s work as “deranged conspiracy and melodrama.” They said Bower’s writing reflects a pattern of fixation rather than legitimate critique, and they argued the allegations and framing in the excerpts do not align with facts.
Harry and Meghan pointed to claims included in the excerpts that Bower makes about the couple’s relationships with other royals, including Bower’s account of statements attributed to Queen Camilla. The Times excerpts, published on Friday, included material that alleges Camilla told a friend Meghan had “brainwashed” Harry.
The couple also addressed other claims included in the excerpts involving Prince William and Catherine, saying Bower alleges William and Catherine “evidently saw Meghan as a threat rather than an ally.” Harry and Meghan said the language and assertions in those excerpts were evidence of how Bower portrays them.
Within their response, Harry and Meghan also criticized Bower’s portrayal of the Sussexes’ broader circumstances. The Times excerpts, AP reported, included passages critical of the couple’s financial situation, their charity work and Harry’s Invictus Games, an annual sporting competition that Harry founded for wounded, injured and sick military veterans.
Harry and Meghan also took aim at Bower’s approach more broadly, saying: “He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met.” They added that readers “interested in facts” would look elsewhere, while “those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
The AP report said Bower previously published a book titled “Revenge: Meghan, Harry, And the War Between the Windsors,” in 2022.