For years, whenever Prince William came up against the slightest resistance or trouble, he would invoke his late mother. Whenever anyone said anything he didn’t like about Kate, he would invoke his mother. It was his thing. Then Prince Harry met an actress named Meghan Markle, and when their relationship was outed, the British media went full-tilt racist. They declared Meghan to be “straight out of Compton” and a lot worse. Within days of Harry and Meghan’s relationship exposure, Harry issued a statement to protect Meghan and get the media to back off. Back in March, the Sunday Times claimed that they had the inside story on what went down with Harry’s decision to issue the statement: that he was afraid Meghan would dump him, and that he asked Jason Knauf to help him write the letter. The article in March was weird, but parts of it were believable (to me), like Harry being completely freaked out by how Meghan was being attacked. Well, it seems like Tom Bower also has a version of that story. Curious.
Meghan Markle insisted on a fierce statement equating her to Prince Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana, a new book claims. According to author Tom Bower in his book “Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors,” the prince agreed — as he was panicked he would lose the barely known actress after just five months together.
In his book, Bower delves into a crisis that erupted after news broke in 2016 that Meghan was dating Britain’s then-favorite royal. Amid a glut of headlines that Meghan and the prince felt had racist undertones, Harry’s then-press secretary Jason Knauf agreed to issue a statement on the prince’s behalf “damning the media for their description of Meghan.” This was done, Bower writes, in a bid to pacify her.
“Harry dictated the sentiments for Knauf to fashion into a statement. Committing Knauf to a conundrum, Meghan demanded that the statement should reflect the parallel between her potential fate and Diana’s,” Bower adds. According to Bower, Knauf tried to warn the couple against comparing Meghan to the beloved late Diana.
“Knauf suggested that over-dramatizing Meghan’s distress would backfire, but Harry was adamant. If Meghan’s wish to be equated with Diana was not satisfied, insisted Harry, he would probably lose her. Knauf acquiesced.”
Harry then asked his older brother, Prince William, for support, Bower says, but William “hesitated … To William’s regret, Harry was obeying Meghan’s orders. That was unwise.”
Ultimately, the statement, released in November 2016, five months after he and Meghan met, did not mention Princess Diana by name, but rather alluded to the tragedies that befell her — including being chased by paparazzi before the 1997 car crash in which she died.
“My girlfriend, Meghan Markle, has been subject to a wave of abuse and harassment,” the the statement read in part. “Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle’s safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her … This is not a game — it is her life and his.”
First of all, Meghan would not “demand” to be compared to Diana, especially since she had only been dating Harry for six months! Meghan wasn’t sitting in Knauf’s office, dictating the wording of Harry’s statement. No – that statement was all Harry being chivalrous and trying desperately to hold on to Meghan and protect her as best he could. As for William… as I said, he used to invoke Diana constantly whenever he got any kind of bad press. William probably was mad that Harry invoked their mother, because William was so used to using Diana’s memory for his own purposes.
Meanwhile, it’s looking more and more like Jason Knauf has been telling a lot of hack “reporters” different versions of the same events, right? You can tell that Bower’s source was Knauf and the Sunday Times’s source was Knauf because both versions have Knauf coming across as so wise and compliant to “unreasonable” Meghan and Harry.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
156795, Meghan Markle spectates from the stands on day ten of the US Open Tennis Championships. Queens, New York – Wednesday September 7, 2016. Photograph: © Ron Angle, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Photoshot): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE 
156795, Meghan Markle spectates from the stands on day ten of the US Open Tennis Championships. Queens, New York – Wednesday September 7, 2016. Photograph: © Ron Angle, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Photoshot): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE 
170501, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on day three of the Invictus Games in Toronto. Toronto, Canada – Monday September 25, 2017. UK, FRANCE, AUS, NZ, CHINA, HONG KONG, TAIWAN, SPAIN & ITALY OUT Photograph: © Stephen Lock, i-Images, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE
173019, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry during a visit to youth-orientated radio station, Reprezent FM, in Brixton, south London to learn about its work supporting young people. London, United Kingdom – Tuesday January 9, 2018. Photograph: © Avalon.red, PacificCoastNews. Los Angeles Office (PCN): +1 310.822.0419 UK Office (Avalon): +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 sales@pacificcoastnews.com FEE MUST BE AGREED PRIOR TO USAGE 
DAGENHAM, ENGLAND – APRIL 11: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex meets young people who have been involved in the development of the new Youth Zone as he attends the official opening of the Barking & Dagenham Future Youth Zone on April 11, 2019 in Dagenham, England. The facility is created by the Charity OnSide Youth Zones and is the first of three facilities expected to open in 2019, which will provide a safe environment where young people can come and enjoy themselves, build key skills and raise their aspirations and confidence to create a happier and healthier generation.,Image: 534435979, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon 
DAGENHAM, ENGLAND – APRIL 11: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex arrives for the official opening of the Barking & Dagenham Future Youth Zone on April 11, 2019 in Dagenham, England. The facility is created by the Charity OnSide Youth Zones and is the first of three facilities expected to open in 2019, which will provide a safe environment where young people can come and enjoy themselves, build key skills and raise their aspirations and confidence to create a happier and healthier generation.,Image: 534435991, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
Toronto, CANADA – Prince Harry holds girlfriend Meghan Markle’s hand as they leave the wheelchair tennis match at the Invictus Games 2017. The happy couple looked to be enjoying the games today with big smiles. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 25 SEPTEMBER 2017 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication* 
Toronto, CANADA – Prince Harry holds girlfriend Meghan Markle’s hand as they leave the wheelchair tennis match at the Invictus Games 2017. The happy couple looked to be enjoying the games today with big smiles. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 25 SEPTEMBER 2017 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication* 
Toronto, CANADA – Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoy each others company at the Invictus Games. The duo cheer on Wheelchair Tennis as they sit on the sidelines. Pictured: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry BACKGRID USA 25 SEPTEMBER 2017 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pLHLnpmirJOdxm%2BvzqZmcG9maYF2e8Gorp6qj6KyqLTAp5ammaKguaarw56kmqaUmrGgvNGipZydj52us77YmJqopaCWv6arx56pmKyflLWqv76mpq2glad8