It may be a brand new biography of King Charles that goes inside his first moments as monarch and his historic Coronation.
But Charles III. New King. New Court. The Inside Story by royal expert and historian Robert Hardman also has a series of new bombshell claims about the King and Queen-in-waiting, the Prince and Princess of Wales. The book, which hits shelves earlier this week, before the news that Kate is in hospital following abdominal surgery, also sheds light on the Waleses - from what they did when the late Queen died to how they've been dealing with the drama related to their estranged relatives Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Here we look at some of the most eye-raising revelations in the book when it comes to the couple...
Real reason Kate didn't go to Balmoral
As the Queen's final hours neared, family members raced to Balmoral to be at her side, including William and Harry. However, two members of the Royal Family, who did not travel to Scotland were the Princess of Wales and the Duchess of Sussex. In his memoir Spare, Harry suggests Meghan was asked to stay away in the same way Kate was.
However, the reason Kate did not travel, Mr Hardman has revealed, was the decision of Kate, not the King. The book says she deemed it necessary to stay behind and prepare her three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis for their new school start rather than travel up to Scotland to be with the late Queen.
The book quotes an insider as saying: "It was by luck rather than judgement, but it made it a lot easier to tell Harry that he was coming alone." Harry had been in the UK with Meghan at the time, and alleged in his biography he texted Prince William about travel arrangements, to which his brother did not reply. "Clearly, Prince William did not regard this as the appropriate moment for the intensely difficult conversation he needed to have with his brother", the book adds.
'Harry snubbed from secret meeting between Charles and William'
In another part of the book, it claims that Charles and William held detailed discussions on the day the late Queen died but decided they couldn't include Harry. After he first became King, Mr Hardman claims one of the new monarch's first decisions was to sit down with his eldest son hours after his beloved mother had passed.
He writes that in previous years, Harry would have also been involved in the talks but with tensions so high between Harry and his father and brother, it was decided it was for the best he sat out the conversation. The book states: "That evening, the couple [Charles and Camilla] would be joined for dinner by the new Prince of Wales, who would also stay at Birkhall. The King needed to have vital but discreet discussions with his elder son. In years gone by, such a moment would automatically have included his younger son, too.
"But not any more. This was clearly not an occasion for an opening up of hearts and minds with Prince Harry, particularly if he was still taking notes for his forthcoming book. Charles III needed a clear head and no distractions."
William arranged 'awkward' Windsor walkabout with Harry and Meghan
In the days after the late Queen's death, royal fans pondered if it would bring estranged William and Harry back together. And a glimmer of hope came when they conducted a walkabout together at Windsor just days after their grandmother died. They were joined by their wives Kate and Meghan and the group put on a united front as they spoke to wellwisher and inspected the floral tributes. A source close to William told Mr Hardman that he organised the outing in about two hours.
And they added that even though William knew it might be awkward due to the tension between him and his brother, he thought it was appropriate after the Queen's passing. However, a member of the Wales team said neither William and Catherine nor Harry and Meghan found it easy.
The author writes in the biography that crowds were "astonished" to see the Sussexes and the Waleses get out of a black Land Rover together - with William at the wheel. One of his advisers tells the writer: "It was very much William's idea. He had organised it in about two hours flat. He had been giving it a lot of thought and he said: 'I know it's awkward but isn't it right in the context of my grandmother's death?' I know he asked a couple of other people, too."
'Olive branch to Harry and Meghan' after emotional night
Meanwhile, the new royal book also claims the Waleses offered Harry and Meghan a 'small gesture' of an olive branch after an emotional night at Buckingham Palace. It reportedly came in the days after the death of the late Queen when all members of the Royal Family converged on the palace after the former monarch's coffin was taken there before being processed to Westminster Hall the following day for the lying in state.
The Firm awaited the arrival of the coffin before an informal supper, throwing together the two warring couples. However according to the new biography, William and Kate offered a small olive branch, which would have gained the approval of Elizabeth II.
He explains: "Inside the palace, all members of the Royal Family were there to welcome the Queen back to royal headquarters for the last time, followed by an informal supper. Afterwards, the Prince and Princess of Wales suggested that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex should attach their car to their police escort for the journey back to Windsor since they were all going the same way.
"It was only a small gesture (they would not be sharing a car) and nowhere near any sort of reconciliation. However, the late Queen would have approved."
Harry's 'snipe' at Kate was 'lowest of the low' for Prince William
Elsewhere, the book examines how Charles had to contend with Harry and Meghan's Netflix series as well as the memoir Spare in the early days of his reign. Both William and Charles came under fire in the series, with William accused of "screaming and shouting" and Charles of 'lying' at a high-profile summit.
However, according to a pal, Harry's pointed snipe at the Princess of Wales was the "lowest of the low" for William, according to a pal. In one of the earlier episodes of the docuseries, Harry said there is a temptation in the royal family to marry someone who "fits the mould".
Speaking in the first episode of the Netflix documentary, he said: "I think for so many people in the family, especially obviously the men, there can be a temptation or an urge to marry someone who would fit the mould as opposed to somebody who you perhaps are destined to be with."
And according to the book, friends of the Royal Family believed it was clear he was talking about William and Kate. One tells the author: "On top of all the other breaches of trust, here was Harry making a blatant attack on Catherine. For William, this was the lowest of the low."
'Insistent' William's demand for Middletons at Coronation
Meanwhile, the book covers the Coronation in great detail, including how the guestlist of almost 2,000 people was drawn in. And it claims that William made a "direct request" that the Kate's family the Middletons be in attendance and seated in a pretty high-profile position.
Mr Hardman notes that this was in direct contrast to some of the old guard of the extended Royal Family, with the Queen Mother's family - the Bowes Lyons - having only two members there to represent them.
The author also points out in the book that the Mountbattens - Prince Philip's family - were only represented by Countess Mountbatten, with other relatives left off the guest list entirely. Even Lady Pamela Hicks, one of the former members of the Royal Household under the late Queen, did not attend. However, Michael and Carole Middleton, as well as Kate's two siblings - James and Pippa - were invited and attended the big day that officially marked the start of the new reign.
William 'could break major royal tradition dating back five centuries'
The end of the book looks towards what William's reign as King may look like - and it suggests that he could end up being the first King not to lead the Church of England in five centuries.
When he becomes King, like his father Charles, he would usually take on the role of Supreme Governor of the Church of England automatically. However, like the vast majority of Brits, William is not a regular worshipper, many of whom are increasingly turning their backs on the historic organisations.
Mr Hardman writes that within royal circles there were already some talks over what would happen with William and the church. The future King is said to greatly respect the church and enjoy attending services at Christmas and Easter but doesn't regularly attend.
This has led to reported speculation as to whether he may consider not taking on the formal role held by the country's monarchs dating back to Henry VIII. Mr Hardman write: "In royal circles, it is no secret that he does not share the King's sense of the spiritual, let alone the late Queen's unshakeable devotion to the Anglican church."
A senior Palace figure reportedly added: "His father is very spiritual and happy to talk about faith but the Prince is not. He doesn't go to church every Sunday, but then nor do the large majority of the country. He might go at Christmas and Easter but that's it. He very much respects the institutions but he is not instinctively comfortable in a faith environment.
