Queen Camilla Told Friends Meghan Markle 'Brainwashed' Prince Harry, Royal Author Claims

Queen Camilla privately told a friend that Meghan Markle had 'brainwashed' Prince Harry, according to a new royal book set for publication in the UK this month. The allegation appears in Betrayal: Power, Deceit and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family by royal author Tom Bower, due for release on 26 March 2026.

Bower is no stranger to royal controversy. His 2022 book Revenge, which examined Meghan's path into the royal family, became a bestseller and drew considerable pushback from the Sussexes' circle, though little came of it legally. Betrayal appears to cast a wider net, looking at how Harry and Meghan's exit strained not only the brothers' bond but the institution around them, apparently including Camilla's more candid private moments.

Queen Camilla's Take on Meghan's Influence on Harry

The alleged remark attributed to Queen Camilla is framed within a passage describing the deteriorating relationship between Prince Harry and Prince William. Bower writes that Meghan 'had become a divisive agent' between the two brothers, and paints a portrait of Harry visibly changing as his relationship with Meghan deepened.

The passage, as reproduced by Bower, reads, 'To please her, Harry was ignoring his old friends. He even changed his telephone number without telling his family. The jovial lad about town became possessed by seeking revenge. Increasingly, his character mirrored Meghan's. Emotionally, he veered towards extremes. Simple dislikes became passionate hatred. "Meghan's brainwashed Harry," Camilla told a friend.'

No representative for King Charles or Queen Camilla has issued a public comment on the claims. The Sussexes have similarly not addressed the specific allegations in Bower's book. Until any of the parties responds, the account remains unverified, and readers would be wise to treat it with appropriate scepticism.

Meghan and Harry's Independent Life

Harry and Meghan formally stepped back from royal duties on 19 February 2021, having already left for the United States in 2020. Since then, they have kept a notably active international presence, conducting a visit to Colombia in August 2024 and travelling to Jordan last month.

The couple has announced a return visit to Australia in April, their first trip there since a 2018 royal tour when they were still working members of the royal family. The journey will take place without any formal palace coordination, a contrast that highlights how closely their movements continue to be measured against the roles they once held.

In an excerpt from Betrayal published in The Times, Bower also writes about Harry's anxieties over his future standing within the family. 'The unpredicted and unimagined humiliation of Andrew shocked Harry,' Bower writes. 'Rightly, Harry fears that the future King William could remove all the Sussexes' titles and effectively banish him from Britain.'

The passage comes against an already unsettled backdrop. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Harry's uncle, was arrested last month and released under investigation on suspicion of misconduct in public office. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made no public comment on his situation.

The British government moved to distance itself from Harry and Meghan's recent international travel, a gesture that, however diplomatically framed, underscores the enduring awkwardness of the couple's status. They are no longer working royals, yet each trip abroad continues to draw scrutiny through that lens.

Bower's previous books generated substantial noise in royal circles while being contested by those closest to their subjects. Whether Betrayal follows that familiar pattern, or produces something more enduring will depend largely on how those named within its pages choose to respond.