Prince Harry is a ‘shadow of his former self’, says royal biographer
Author says couple seems focused ‘entirely on the negative’
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Your support makes all the difference.A royal biographer has claimed that Prince Harry has become a “shadow of his former self” and lost some of his “charismatic, mischievous charm” over the past few years as a result of only focusing on negativity.
Angela Levin, the author of Harry: Conversations with the Prince, made the claims during an appearance on ITV’s Royal Rota.
“Harry’s changed enormously since I met him,” Levin said. “I found that he was charismatic, he had royal stardust about him.
“He was brilliant with people, especially if they were physically, emotionally or psychologically damaged, he’s got a mischievous side.”
However, in the years since she wrote her 2018 biography of the Duke of Sussex, Levin said he has become a “shadow of his former self”.
According to the author, the change is especially noticeable when reading excerpts from Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Family, the upcoming biography written about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex by royal reporters Carolyn Durrand and Omid Scobie.
“When you read even just the extracts, you realise that actually the pile of grievance they hold going back a few years now is absolutely extraordinary,” Levin said of the duke and duchess, adding that most of the grievances are “incredibly petty”.
“But when you add them up it’s like a great big sand castle of tiny little bits and pieces that you feel is not right,” she continued. “They ignore all of the wonderful things they have had, the prerogatives and chances to meet great people and do charity work they want to do. And they’re focused, it seems to me, entirely on the negative.”
The London-based author also suggested Prince Harry may be struggling to adapt to his new, more-private life in the United States with Meghan, as he previously “loved” being part of a team from his military experience.
“The Queen is the captain, isn’t she?” Levin said, adding that Prince Harry had said being part of a team was “very important to him and he loved it”.
“He felt you couldn’t really achieve anything without being a team,” she said.
Levin’s remarks follow excerpts released from the upcoming biography in which the authors claim there were numerous instances when the royal couple felt frustrated with their treatment as members of the royal family.
In addition to reports of tension between Prince William and Prince Harry, the book also alleges that the couple grew frustrated that they “often took a back seat to other family members”.
“While they both respected the hierarchy of the institution, it was difficult when they wanted to focus on a project and were told that a more senior ranking family member, be it Prince William or Prince Charles, had an initiative or tour being announced at the same time – so they would just have to wait,” the book reads.
Finding Freedom will be released on 11 August.
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