William, who “personally liked” all the staff alleged to have been mistreated by Meghan, came to believe that the former actress was “fundamentally hostile to the royal system”, Lacey wrote. He claimed that the second-in-line to the throne regarded staff as “colleagues to be cherished and for whom he was responsible”, meaning he was “appalled” by the contents of the dossier.
The 2018 document – which Harry and Meghan have refuted – claimed the Duchess had bullied two PAs out of their jobs in the previous year. It also claimed that Meghan seemed intent on “always having someone in her sights”, and Knauf said he had received “report after report” from people who witness “unacceptable behaviour” by Meghan towards a member of staff.
Enraged, William confronted his brother in an angry phone call, before Harry hung up, the book claims. William persisted, searching his younger sibling out, leading to a “fierce and bitter” showdown, Lacey wrote. He said: “Harry shut off his phone angrily, so William went to speak to him personally. The prince was horrified by what he had just been told about Meghan’s alleged behaviour, and he wanted to hear what Harry had to say.”
Harry was hurt that his older brother believed the accusations about Meghan, while William was “appalled” at what he heard and felt justified in having had doubts about his sister-in-law before she married into the family, it is claimed. During this conversation, insiders told Lacey, Harry voiced his belief that someone in the royal circle was “racist” – but the book does not say who this referred to. As a result of the rift, Lacey wrote, William “simply did not want her or Harry around any more”.
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