THE Queen had a secret plan for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to live in Africa for a year, an explosive new book has claimed.
The 94-year-old monarch realised not enough had done to come up with a role for their newest Royal Family member Meghan Markle that suited her “unique identity and talents”, Battle of Brothers reported.
And author Robert Lacey claimed Her Majesty had been inspired by her own enjoyable time in Malta for the idea of Meghan and Harry heading to Africa.
In an extract released to the Daily Mail, the author said: “The big idea was to get Harry and Meghan out of the country for a decent spell. It would give everyone a breather.
“The Queen wanted to offer both honour and responsibility to the couple by handing them some role in her beloved British Commonwealth of Nations — a highly personal token of trust.”
The plan helped to give the couple a “self-sufficient” status without fully matching – or threatening – the position of heir Prince William.
Battle of Brothers also claims…
- Prince William enraged Harry by asking uncle to stop him rushing into marriage with Meghan
- Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton treated each other with ‘mutual respect’
- Prince Harry had a ‘classic explosion’ after butting heads with Prince William
- William was so angry at Prince Harry over how he handled Megxit that he ‘unbrothered’ him
- Palace insiders thought Meghan’s ITV Africa interview was ‘miserably self-indulgent’
Meghan and Harry had already travelled to Botswana together early on in their relationship, with the prince previously revealing how the continent had a special place in his heart.
The biography claimed: “Their relationship had taken flower in Africa after all, so maybe it, or somewhere else in the Commonwealth, might provide their next step. Johannesburg could be their Malta.”
It was also claimed The Queen wanted Meghan to perform “special work” that would support women and girls.
However, the book reported that private secretary Sir Edward Young did not have the vision for Meghan, 39, and Harry, 36.
In fact, it was claimed the Duchess of Sussex saw Young as the “inflexible, bureaucratic figure who summed up what was at fault with the palace mentality”.
Instead of organising events that fit the former actress, she instead had a schedule of “safe, predictable and mildly boring” engagements.
Eventually, Meghan and Harry did head to Africa – performing a Royal Tour last year with son Archie.
Yet while the trip was widely considered a success during the ten days, the couple then launched legal action against the Mail on Sunday.
The duchess also gave an interview with ITV’s Tom Bradbury – with Lacey claiming palace insiders thought it was “tone-deaf” and “miserably self-indulgent.”
The claims come after another extract published claimed that Prince William had enraged Harry by asking uncle to stop him rushing into marriage with Meghan.
The Duke of Cambridge, 38, reportedly called in Princess Di’s brother after “brusque” and “peppery reactions” to his own attempts to talk Harry round.
William is said to have turned to Charles Spencer, 56, — who walked with them and Prince Charles behind Diana’s coffin in 1997 — much to the annoyance of Harry.
Among William’s frustrations were claims that Harry and Meghan had given the palace just ten minutes’ notice over their announcement to quit the Royal Family.
Wills, 38, was distraught when they announced in January they were quitting for a life in Canada.
And while he reportedly agreed to keep things civil at the Sandringham Summit, which hammered out the first details of the Megxit deal, he was unwilling to go any further, according to the book.
