A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle issued a strongly worded statement last weekend, rejecting several explosive allegations in Tom Bower’s upcoming book. Serialized excerpts in The Times magazine level accusations against the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, their ties to the Prince and Princess of Wales, and the Invictus Games.
Sussexes’ Statement Targets Author’s Motives
The statement declares: “Mr Bower’s commentary has long crossed the line from criticism into fixation. This is someone who has publicly stated, ‘the monarchy in fact depends on actually obliterating the Sussexes from our state of life,’ language that speaks for itself. He has made a career out of constructing ever more elaborate theories about people he does not know and has never met. Those interested in facts will look elsewhere; those seeking deranged conspiracy and melodrama know exactly where to find him.”
PR Expert Calls Response Damaging
Renae Smith, founder and director of Atticism, views the rebuttal as a misstep. She explains: “From a PR perspective, I don’t think the statement was a wise move at all. It was scathing, very detailed, and emotionally loaded, which is rarely the strongest position when you’re dealing with a book like this.”
Smith notes that the claims align with existing public views on the couple’s ego, control, and self-focus. “The problem is that these are not brand new criticisms. They sit very much within the existing public perception of Harry and Meghan, particularly around ego, control, image management, and making things about themselves. That is why this kind of material is damaging. It is not introducing an entirely new scandal. It is reinforcing the line that already exists. And from a reputational point of view, that can be even more harmful, because repetition hardens perception. It takes an existing vibe and darkens it.”
She recommends silence over engagement: “The [late] Queen’s approach of saying very little was powerful for a reason. It denied oxygen. Harry and Meghan, on the other hand, have engaged in a way that gives the book more attention, not less.”
Bower Responds to Backlash
Tom Bower counters that the Sussexes face challenges in Hollywood. He states: “The Sussexes are reaching the end of the road in Hollywood. Their behaviour, lack of original talent and suffocating self-importance has made it even more important for them to return to Britain in July, meet the King and be revalidated as royals.”
