A lot has happened since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle quit royal life and left the UK in 2020. From the initial ‘Megxit’ controversy to more recent feud claims and everything in between, it’s been a roller-coaster four years for the Sussexes.
And now, insiders tell Closer that Meghan, 43, is planning the ultimate revenge move by penning an explosive tell-all memoir – with the possibility of turning it into a bombshell biopic.
A source reveals, ‘The word in publishing circles is that everyone’s rabid to land Meghan’s memoirs and the numbers being thrown around are ridiculously high. We're talking tens of millions for her authorised biography – eventually it’s going to get to the point where she can’t say no.
‘Of course, she’ll have to lay everything bare if she wants that kind of payday, and she could probably get even more – figures around the $100m mark are being talked about if she were to do a joint deal for a movie biopic to be released at the same time. She really has had an extraordinary journey. And love her or hate her, there’s no denying that she has an insight into the Royal Family that no one else can share.’
The insider continues, ‘The interest in her story isn’t just in America or the UK, this would be an international property. And it would obviously serve her as far as expanding her brand and her power, which is no doubt hugely appealing to her, on top of the massive paycheck. It would not be good news for the royals, but it’s hard to imagine that it’s not something they will eventually have to face, probably sooner rather than later.’
Meghan and Harry left the Palace in January 2020 to start a new life in California. Shortly after, she revealed the mental health struggles she experienced while she was pregnant with her son Archie, now five. The couple, who are also parents to three-year-old daughter Lilibet, later spoke about the alleged refusal by the Royal Family and palace officials to help her, which resulted in them stepping down from royal duties.
Since then, they’ve had a strained relationship with the royals, including Harry’s brother Prince William and wife Kate Middleton. Their rift became even more apparent when Harry made a string of bombshell claims about them in his controversial memoir, Spare, last January. In it, he alleged that William, 42, physically attacked him and that Kate, also 42, made Meghan cry before their 2018 wedding.
However, speculation has grown that Harry has been pining for his old life, with claims that he’s even spoken to old friends about trying to make some kind of return to life in the UK by planning to have negotiations with King Charles to perform minor duties. And while the Waleses sent a shock public message to Harry for his recent milestone 40th birthday, they raised eyebrows when it appeared that Meghan had been cropped out of the picture they shared alongside it. However, Buckingham Palace has since denied that she was removed, confirming the image was not altered and was used in the format it was received.
Last week, Meghan then faced more drama when she was branded ‘Duchess Difficult’ in new reports, with damning accusations that she 'belittles' staff and 'marches around like a dictator in high heels, fuming and barking orders'.
With plenty of content to share, our source says that Meghan has been waiting for the right time to speak out. The source says, ‘There’s no doubt Meghan has a remarkable story, it’s just a question of timing. She’s strategically chosen to hold off for the sake of peace, but she absolutely wants to share her truth, and why shouldn’t she when she’s endured so much? Make no mistake, she will not be told what she can and cannot say, so when she decides that the time is right, she will write a very truthful and detailed memoir that will delve into every aspect of her journey.
‘As much as her life has been a fairy tale, it’s also come with a lot of painful experiences, and she feels strongly she has a message that has the potential to inspire a lot of people. She doesn’t plan to sugarcoat anything, from growing up as a child of divorce and the inspiration she got from her mother Doria, to her ups and downs in Hollywood and what she faced as a woman of mixed-race in the industry. And of course, she will address the good times and bad times in the UK and her experiences with the Royal Family. She’ll want her book to be one of hope and triumph, but she isn’t going to shy away from revealing her darkest moments.’
The source adds, ‘As far as team Sussex is concerned, this will happen – and when it does, it will absolutely be a form of revenge. But the concern of course is whether it would throw any sort of wrench into Harry’s attempts to make peace and wreck it, that’s why the timing is so crucial. But when she’s ready to pull the trigger, it won’t be difficult to write a very accurate book that spans her entire life because she’s been a dedicated journal keeper for years. The royals should be nervous, because all their machinations will be laid bare – and it won’t be pretty.’