Modest Harry's splurging after marrying Meghan created rift with William and made Queen unhappy, claims book
In an explosive new book about the royals, it was revealed that one of the primary reasons behind the rift between Prince William and Harry was the latter's expensive lifestyle. Authors and investigative journalists Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett made the claim in the book 'In Royal At War,' which was published on Kindle on Tuesday, June 30. "Harry’s [spending] transformation is revealed as one of the fundamental factors behind the deep fissure that opened between him and his brother, Prince William," they said.
In the wake of his wedding to Meghan in 2018, Harry forked out more than £6,000 ($7,300) within months for acupuncture "as part of a health drive." He also shelled out £33,000 ($40,500) for a "babymoon" with the Duchess of Sussex at Heckfield Place and a luxury spa in Hampshire, all of which was part of the three-night stay. Apparently the Duke of Sussex wasn't always a lavish spender. He got bitten by the spending bug after he left the Kensington Palace, which he shared with his brother and his wife. Shortly after his marriage, he and Meghan moved into Frogmore Cottage on the grounds of Windsor Castle. They also controversially spent £2.4 million ($2.9 million) of taxpayers’ money to refurbish the cottage — the same amount that the couple vowed to repay after they officially quit the royal family in March.
After the remodeling work to make their residence more modern made headlines around the world, the Queen was reported to be ‘privately unhappy’ over the expenditure. But that was not the end of their spending spree. Meghan was estimated to have spent over £478,920 ($588,678) on maternity clothes after she became pregnant with their son, Archie. She also splurged in aromatherapy as well as massages.
Since the Queen is well-known for her modest tastes, she was reportedly displeased by Meghan's spending spree. "The fact that Meghan splashed so much cash rang alarm bells with the traditionally conservative Queen Elizabeth," said the authors. "Growing up in the war left the monarch with a built-in sense of frugality and economy, despite being one of the richest women in the world." Prince Harry and Meghan are now reportedly paying close to £18,000 ($22,000) a month to keep Frogmore as their official British base as they currently inhabit Hollywood tycoon Tyler Perry's $18 million mansion in California.
Last year, the Sussexes were also criticized for using private jets for four trips in just 11 days in August, despite advocating for ecology. The duke also defended his repeated use of private jets, claiming that means for private travel was apt for keeping his family safe. Speaking at an event, he refused to apologize for private flights to Italy, France, and Spain. "I spend 99 percent of my life traveling the world by commercial. Occasionally there needs to be an opportunity [to fly privately] based on a unique circumstance to ensure that my family are safe — it's as simple as that," he said. Additionally, he claimed that his carbon footprint was erased because he 'offsets' his emissions by donating to renewable energy incentives and planting trees.