EXCLUSIVE: There’s another shocking tell-all on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - and this time, it’s coming from a British aristocrat who, despite being critical of the royal couple, insisted she’s rooting for Meghan Markle.
“I have said all along, and I still say, I am rooting for Meghan,” Lady Colin Campbell told Fox News. “Because I still see where, because of her natural gifts, if she gets her act together, she could still do so much good for people all over the world.”
“I try not to show them at their worst,” the 70-year-old continued. “And I also try to show what their possibilities were and still could be. I think they have damaged themselves very badly. I think there will be a very difficult way forward, no matter what the way is. I think if they try to come back to this country, they will not be welcomed.
“I think there is a distinct possibility if they don’t make their great fortune that they were hoping to make in Hollywood, they’re going to have to move on to somewhere else. I don’t know what they’re going to do. I suspect they don’t know what they’re going to do.”
Lady Colin Campbell (Photo by David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images)
Before the bombshell book “Finding Freedom” written by royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand was released this summer, Campbell published “Meghan and Harry: The Real Story,” which aims to provide a “behind-the-scenes authoritative account” on Markle and Prince Harry’s whirlwind romance, high-profile marriage as well as their decision to step back as senior members of the British royal family.
The former American actress, 39, and the British prince, 35, are residing in Markle’s native California with their son, Archie.
While it was initially reported that Harry and Markle cooperated with the authors, reps for the couple confirmed to Fox News that they played no part in the tell-all.
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Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, arrive at the annual Endeavour Fund Awards in London on March 5, 2020. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘Finding Freedom,’” said the statement. “This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and heir own independent reporting.”
Campbell, who previously published a book on Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, said she spoke to royals, past and present courtiers, fellow aristocrats as well as mutual well-connected friends for her latest release.
In response to “Finding Freedom,” Campbell slammed that book and called it “fiction.”
“What surprised me the most about Meghan and Harry when I looked into what was really going was what a tremendous opportunity they had to do good all over the world,” she explained. “And if they were sincere humanitarians, they would know they had an absolutely perfect springboard for doing the most wonderful work and how they were bogged down in petty squabbles.”
“Because of his mental health problems and because of her personality problems, they are squandering this tremendous opportunity and making it very unlikely that they would achieve their stated objectives or achieve what everybody hoped they would achieve,” she claimed.
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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attend an Anzac Day service at Westminster Abbey on April 25, 2018, in London, England. (Eddie Mulholland - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
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Campbell alleged the couple wanted to become financially independent and engaged in “commercial activities,” which are “strictly forbidden” among royals. She also claimed Markle wanted to openly share her political viewpoints, which is also frowned upon. This has allegedly caused the couple to clash with palace aides who are determined to preserve tradition.
“I thought this is completely unrealistic,” said Campbell. “This is never going to work. It’s never going to be allowed. I thought this is the making of an absolutely amazing tale, which has proven to me, this is history in the making. But I think the sad thing about it is the squandered opportunity and the fact that nothing they say actually measures up with what they do.”
According to Campbell, Markle was initially welcomed with open arms by the royal family and the “red carpet was laid out for her.” However, she alleged things went downhill quickly because the former “Suits” star “refused to respect the parameters within which all royals have to function.”
“She took the view that if she was rebellious and she did exactly as she pleased that she could prove that she could pass it off as being a modernizing influence,” claimed Campbell. “But this was not about modernization. This is was about self-indulgence. And people objected to Meghan [being disrespectful] to British tradition and customs… She completely ignored whatever she was told… And that’s when the press began to report on it.”
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Meghan Markle was a Hollywood actress before she became a member of the British royal family. (Lars Niki/Corbis via Getty Images)
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Both Markle and Harry have spoken out about the mistreatment they’ve endured by British tabloids. Campbell scoffed at the claims and pointed out that duty should come first when it comes to being a royal.
“I think they are out of touch with reality,” she said. “And it’s ironic because they had so much going for them and they had so much prestige. They were the most popular couple in Britain. They could have ended up being one of the most revered couples on Earth if they played their cards right. Instead, they are now the most reviled couple of this country. And it’s entirely due to their conduct.”
Campbell also said she doesn’t believe the couple headed to California for the sake of protecting their firstborn from the glaring spotlight.
“I would not buy into the lie that they moved to California for privacy when they could have had far more privacy hunkered down in Frogmore Cottage,” she slammed. “To be a British royal means you have an unprecedented level of protection surrounding you. They have removed that level of protection. They have gone to California… If you are sincere about wanting privacy, you shut up and lead a private life. And when you have something that is a valid public engagement, you do it.”
In this Tuesday, July 10, 2018, file photo Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, and Meghan the Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry watch a flypast of Royal Air Force aircraft pass over Buckingham Palace in London. As part of a surprise announcement distancing themselves from the British royal family, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan declared they will “work to become financially independent." (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
“I’ll tell you why they moved to Hollywood - and everybody knows it in the royal family,” she shared. “They have moved to Hollywood to be free of the constraints and the monitoring that all royals are subjected to… Meghan never had any intention of settling into the British royal family and leading a quiet, disconnected life from her American activities.”
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