Six books about Harry and Meghan
Think you know everything there is to know about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle? Think again.
There’s a plethora of books out which attempt to analyse the minutiae of their lives – childhoods, relationships, characters, strengths and weaknesses and, of course, their love affair.
Curious? Read on...
1. Meghan: A Hollywood Princess by Andrew Morton (Michael O’Mara, £20)
Andrew Morton, the former tabloid journalist who wrote the controversial biography Diana: Her True Story, about the late Diana, Princess of Wales, is the author behind one of the most publicised books about Meghan.
Living in Pasadena in Los Angeles, Morton says he was on Meghan’s home turf and was easily able to speak to friends and others who had some connection with her, including her half-brother, Thomas.
In the book, he plays on the parallels – and the contrasts – between Meghan and Diana.
“There are contrasts and comparisons. They were both from broken homes, both felt very isolated and alone growing up, Meghan because she was bi-racial, Diana because divorce in those days was very unusual,” he states.
“Meghan was more of an activist when she was a little girl. She organised an anti-Gulf War demonstration at her school and wrote to food product companies about faulty products. She also famously wrote to a washing liquid company, Procter & Gamble, about their sexist advertising on their washing-up liquid, which they changed after about a month. Diana, by contrast, was very shy. Diana wasn’t academically very successful whereas Meghan was usually the smartest girl in the room.
“Moving on to the teenage years, you see a similarity in that Meghan was hard-wired to get involved and to give back. She was involved with soup kitchens for the homeless in downtown LA. Diana was involved with a disabled centre near her school.
“Diana in her adult years became an independent humanitarian advocate and it’s interesting that when Meghan was 16, she saw something of herself in Diana.”
2. Harry: Conversations With The Prince by Angela Levin (John Blake, £14.99, available May 3)
Journalist Angela Levin is the only writer in the latest biography pack to have actually interviewed Harry for her book. After shadowing him for a year while he was on royal duties, she managed to secure several interviews and discovered a complex man who is determined to make a difference.
“He’s very charismatic, understands people intuitively, which I think is from his mother, he’s determined and can be a little bit stroppy if things bore him. What he feels happy with is connecting in a proper way.”
She says in the book that the Prince of Wales and his late ex-wife had little in common and should never have married, but is much more optimistic about Harry and Meghan, who have much in common – both from broken homes, their humanitarian ethos, the fact they both want to make a difference.
“Meghan has struggled and strived. She’s succeeded through her own merit, she’s had a career. Diana was just 19 when she married. But since childhood, she has wanted to help the underprivileged,” says Levin. “Diana also decided that her role was to be philanthropic to make change. Meghan is desperate to make change, she can’t wait.”
3. Harry: Life, Loss And Love by Katie Nicholl (Hachette, £20)
Former royal correspondent Katie Nicholl lifted the lid not only on Prince Harry’s romance with Meghan but also offers an insight into his former loves, including Chelsy Davy and Cressida Bonas, as well as his time in Afghanistan and his partying antics.
She spoke to military colleagues, press photographers who shadowed him on his tours, friends and former flames, to create a profile of the cheeky, mischievous boy who has evolved from a sometimes wayward royal into “an impressive young man”.
4. Harry & Meghan: An Invitation To The Royal Wedding by Angela Peel (Carlton Books, £16.99)
Written by journalist Angela Peel, with a foreword by former ITV News royal editor Tim Ewart, anyone who wants plenty of pictures should go for this highly illustrated, detailed account of Harry and Meghan’s relationship.
5. American Princess: The Love Story Of Meghan Markle And Prince Harry by Leslie Carroll (William Morrow, £8.99)
American author and royal historian Leslie Carroll focuses predominantly on the love story between the popular pair, providing context by leading readers through centuries of Britain’s rule-breaking royal marriages, along with the love matches that were never permitted to make it to the altar.
6. Harry & Meghan: The Love Story by Emily Herbert (John Blake, £7.99)
This book is written by journalist Emily Herbert and reveals how the American actress stole the heart of the British prince, as well as an insight into Meghan’s upbringing in America.
Picture: PA Wire/PA Images
