A recent report by a British tabloid threatens to upend the UK Royal Family, revealing the root cause of the strained ties between King Charles and Harry-Meghan duo. A new expose by Byline Times suggests that a royal rift may have been sparked by an alleged “cash for leaks” scheme. The report suggests that the Royal Family may have benefited from the dissemination of derogatory stories about Harry’s wife Meghan Markle.
The anonymous source cited in the British newspaper indicates that King Charles had concerns over Prince Harry and Meghan potentially overshadowing him and the rest of the royal family in the media landscape. The source is quoted as saying, “The undeniable truth is that Harry and Meghan generate far more attention than King Charles, Camilla, William, and Kate. The idea of them continuing to be in public service, yet residing abroad beyond the institution’s control and dominating the media narrative, was untenable.”
Two Alleged Choices
The report also suggests that King Charles had two distinct choices: allowing the Sussexes to maintain a lower profile in the UK or distancing them from the family to minimize the risk of their media presence surpassing the rest of the royals. The report further claims that Charles was displeased with Prince Harry’s legal actions against tabloid publications, actions that could potentially expose the palace’s interactions with the press.
A startling revelation in the report asserts that King Charles withdrew £700,000 in funding from Meghan and Harry and encouraged them to embark on a trial year in Canada. This move followed a bombshell royal cash-for-leaks scandal ignited by journalist Dan Wootton. Byline Times also alleges that a close associate of a key aide to Prince William received £4,000 from UK-based The Sun in exchange for stories related to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Money Linked to ‘Megxit’ narrative
According to the report, these allegations came to light through anonymous emails purportedly sent by administrative personnel within Rupert Murdoch’s media empire. These emails reveal transactions linked to stories about Archie’s nannying arrangements and the momentous ‘Megxit’ narrative that unfolded in January 2020.
London’s Metropolitan Police launched a probe into the leak allegations but encountered significant obstacles in securing a warrant to search royal staff properties due to the lack of whistleblower identities. This prompted Prince Harry to issue formal ‘letters before action’ to News UK, outlining the allegations against Wootton and the palace’s involvement. The Royal Family was evidently uncomfortable with Harry taking legal action against the tabloids.
As per the report, the British Royals at first anticipated that the threat of exposure would compel Harry and Meghan to return to the UK, ensuring a more controlled public image that would not overshadow the future King. However, the financial cut-off and subsequent legal standoff exacerbated the fractures within the Royal Family. This report seems to corroborate what the Duke and Duchess of Sussex revealed in their Netflix docuseries and Prince Harry’s book, “The Spare,” asserting that they were targeted by both the royal family and the media.
