A fresh royal book is set to reveal massive secrets from within the confines of the royal palace.
Royal servants and staff who served Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, Prince William, and Kate Middleton during their time as the ‘Fab Four’ have given a sneak peek into their royal bubble and real lives behind the scenes.
The revelations are explosive – from Meghan’s very American mannerisms sparking a surprising rumour to Kate’s role in soothing William’s ‘tantrums’.
According to author Tom Quinn, no one knows the royal family like the people who cater to their every need.
In his sensational new book, Yes Ma’am: The Secret Life of Royal Servants, excerpted in The Times, Quinn unveils what many insiders witnessed during their time serving Harry and Meghan before their dramatic exit from royal life.
While some took an instant liking to the Suits actress, others found daily challenges with the modern-day duchess, reports the Mirror.
The book also shines a light on Kate and William’s marriage, including heart-wrenching details about the future King’s childhood.
Let’s take a look at the biggest claims…
‘Unprepared for royal life’
The new book suggests that Meghan’s American upbringing left her unprepared for the realities of British royal life.
Quinn writes that, when Meghan discovered that Harry was only worth around £20million, she “quickly realised” that she needed to “reassess other assumptions she’d made about this strange new family.”
One royal staff member commented, “She expected a billionaire and she got a millionaire.”
Another former team member revealed that the actress “really disliked the hierarchy”.
Illustrating an instance of senior royals getting envious over each other’s material possessions, the ex-staff member stated: “Meghan thought they behaved like babies.”
Kate’s soothing technique for tetchy William
Kate Middleton is reported to play a crucial role in soothing Prince William when he becomes “fractious” and throws “tantrums”. The book by Quinn suggests that William, much like his father King Charles, can “both get irritated very quickly”, as per a former staff member.
They described them as “very picky”, but only because it comes “naturally” to them.
The book further reveals that if things aren’t in order for William, he can become grumpy, which is when Kate steps in.
The source added: “I don’t know where William would be without Kate – she hasn’t had everything done for her throughout her life, so she calms him down when he gets a bit fractious. She said he sometimes has to be treated as her fourth child’.”
This isn’t the first time Quinn has discussed William and Kate’s relationship. He once told The Mirror that, like any couple, the Waleses do occasionally argue.
He said: “They do have rows. It’s not a perfect marriage. They have terrific rows.”
However, he reassured that the disputes never turn nasty and instead they “throw cushions at each other. It’s always kept under control”.
Protocol
Meghan Markle’s initial encounters with the Royal Family were reportedly quite awkward. Prior to her royal life, Meghan was accustomed to a greater degree of independence and control.
However, she quickly discovered that taking charge wasn’t part of the traditional royal protocol, as detailed in a new book.
Early meetings between the duchess and staff members revealed Meghan’s confidence, which was so pronounced that it seemed she wanted to lead the meetings rather than observe and learn, according to one former team member.
Meghan was ‘breath of fresh air’
Prince William and Kate Middleton were initially thrilled to meet Meghan.
Quinn describes a surprisingly jovial moment between Meghan and William, allegedly observed by a junior staffer who saw them playfully imitating 1950s dance moves together.
One staff member remembered the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge considering Meghan a “breath of fresh air” at first.
However, William and Kate weren’t the only ones who initially welcomed Meghan warmly. A courtier once told Richard Eden, the Daily Mail’s Royal reporter, that “the Queen believed that Meghan would be a breath of fresh air and a great asset to the Monarchy.”
They remarked: “The Queen fast-tracked her entry into the Royal Family, inviting Meghan to join her at a service to mark Commonwealth Day – her first official engagement with the Queen – two months before the wedding. It was another clear indication that Her Majesty valued Meghan and wanted her to be seen as a part of the family without delay.”
‘Flirting’
Meghan’s tendency for cheek kissing and hugging, which is quite different from the Royal Family’s usual formalities, led to misunderstandings among staff who thought she was ‘flirting’ with William, insiders claim in the book.
Author Quinn notes that Meghan’s tactile nature made William feel “uncomfortable”, as she would often hug him upon meeting.
This behaviour sparked rumours amongst the staff “that Meghan was flirting with William, which she was obviously not, but the tense atmosphere caused by all the touchy-feeliness (and the resultant gossip) deepened the rift between the brothers”, the book alleges.
Both Meghan and Harry have acknowledged that William and Kate were taken aback by her fondness for hugging.
In the Netflix docuseries, Meghan revealed her surprise at the persistence of formality within the royal household. She explained: “I started to understand that the formality on the outside carried through on the inside, that there is a forward-facing way of being and then you close the door and think, ‘OK, we can relax now’. But that formality carries over on both sides and that was surprising to me.”
The book alleges that Meghan’s “warm, friendly hug-everyone approach” led to tensions with William and Harry, emerging “fairly early on”.
It suggests that royals like Kate, William, and Charles were taken aback by her tactile nature, often “flinching” when she went in for a hug, leaving Meghan “understandably hurt”.
William’s upbringing
Meanwhile, the book delves into William’s contrasting upbringing compared to Kate’s normal family life, highlighting the challenges he faced growing up in the public eye, especially after his parents’ divorce and his mother’s death.
The author discusses William’s “needier side” and shares a poignant claim from a former maid about his childhood experiences.
A staff member has alleged that Kate had to educate Prince William on many parenting practices outside of the Royal Family, even demonstrating how to “give the children a piggyback”.
The source revealed: “William said very quietly, ‘My father never gave me a piggyback’.”
Harry didn’t know he was the Spare until Meghan
The book also suggests that Prince Harry was unaware of his status as a ‘spare’ until “well into his marriage” with Meghan.
Quinn believes Meghan felt her husband was being treated as insignificant. The terms ‘heir’ and ‘spare’ have long been used to describe the monarch and their sibling, implying Harry was born a spare.
However, Quinn asserts that this title took on a new significance when Meghan introduced Harry to a different viewpoint.
He writes: “The strongly held view among current and former royal staff is that Meghan felt she was standing up for her husband, telling ‘her truth’ and encouraging him to tell his, but this was seen as deeply disruptive.”
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Meghan’s name change
Meghan, originally named Rachel, chose to use her middle name early on. While Harry publicly refers to his wife as Meg and M, staff members had various nicknames for the duchess.
According to Quinn, “her nickname for a while was the Duchess of Difficult, but she had other, friendlier nicknames, including Mystic Meg, which came about because she was so new agey, so woke, about so many things”.
It has been disclosed that during Meghan’s tenure as a working royal, Charles had a special moniker for her in recognition of her tenacity.
He fondly referred to her as ‘Tungsten’, symbolising her ‘tough and unbending’ nature, it was reported. Tungsten is a metal known for its high melting point and core strength in the periodic table.