Prince Harry's old pal speaks out on shock 'Meghan divorce book' claim

A friend close to Prince Harry has addressed an allegation in Vanity Fair that the Duchess of Sussex's team had a 'conversation' with a publishing house about a potential book on 'post-divorce,' which the couple have reportedly denied

An old friend of Prince Harry has spoken out following claims that a member of Meghan Markle's team had a "conversation" with a publisher about a potential book on "post-divorce."

The Sussexes are reportedly "distressed" by the allegations in Vanity Fair's explosive cover story, which reports that a meeting was scheduled to see if a publisher would "theoretically be interested" in the book, according to a source.

However, the article does make clear that the couple are not on the road to divorce - to the contrary, Harry and Meghan are said to be very loved up. The excerpt in question reads: "Not a general book on life after marital dissolution, or one about Meghan's past experience. (She was married to producer Trevor Engelson from 2011 to 2014.)

"This book—this notion of a book, really—might center on a post-Harry divorce. Not that there was actually one in the works! Just…if this a priori divorce ever came to be, would this publisher theoretically be interested in a book that took place in its aftermath?"

But according to The Times, the Sussexes have dismissed the allegations, with a source close to them describing them as 'distressing'. And now a friend who is reportedly close to Prince Harry has spoken out in their defence, telling the Daily Beast: "The Vanity Fair divorce story seemed very unfair. There was a book but there wasn't a book, she was planning for life after divorce, but they are totally in love. What? There was not a shred of evidence." The source, quoted as an old pal, added: "Things aren't easy for them right now. Vanity Fair have succeeded in making a bad time worse."

The cover article, published on Friday and cryptically titled 'American Hustle', set out what life was like ­'Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Big Business Ambitions, 5 Years After Their Royal Exit'. The "damning" piece contains more troubling claims about what it's allegedly like to work for the couple. These follow previous bullying accusations against Meghan, which she has always strenuously denied.

Vanity Fair quoted sources as claiming Meghan could be "really, really awful" when things did not go her way at work and that projects often went poorly due to the couple's 'demands'. Other bombshell claims in the Vanity Fair article include the suggestion that Harry underestimated the impact his explosive memoir Spare would have on relations with his family, that Meghan has 're-parented' Harry, and that the couple lacked ideas when it came to their Netflix and Spotify deals.

One producer, said to have worked with the Sussexes, accused them of "naivety", while an unnamed worker who reportedly collaborated with Meghan and Harry on their Spotify deal said: "The thing you're escaping is the reason you're compelling." The former Spotify employee said that Meghan and Harry "didn't do what celebrities do on podcasts, which is turn on the mic and talk. They wanted a big theme that would explain the world, but they had no ideas".

The article also quotes sources who are said to be neighbours of the couple in Montecito , saying they were 'entitled' and 'disingenuous'. But those close to Harry and Meghan have pointed to comments made by actress Sharon Stone when they first moved to Montecito back in 2020, who said that the couple would wave to people in the street and had become a "giving, caring, participating part of our community."