'She took suitcases of clothes': Meghan Markle used Rwanda trip as backdrop for fashion shoot, says book
A bombshell biography has claimed Meghan Markle brought "suitcases of clothes" and "insisted" on bringing along a Canadian photographer during a charitable trip to Rwanda.
Author Tom Bower wrote in his new book titled 'Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors' that the Duchess of Sussex, 40, was invited on the trip in January 2016 by World Vision Canada to be a part of a film to promote the charity organization's work in building water wells in the African country. Bower, however, claimed in his book that Meghan flew to Rwanda first class, had her own hair and makeup artist, and was accompanied by fashion photographer Gabor Jurina. This was after Brenda Surminski, a producer who was originally due to film the trip, couldn't travel and a Canadian cameraman joined the group instead. Bower claimed that after being filmed playing with children near a water tap, the Duchess "disappeared" with Jurina to take photos with some of the kids.
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"At the end, Surminski was puzzled," Bower wrote. "Celebrities using a desolate African village as the backdrop for a fashion shoot was 'mind-blowing,'" he added.
While the Duchess hasn't commented on the claims thus far, Bower said the connection between her and the charity was made through advertising agency KBS, after its creative director Matt Hassell suggested she would be "ideal" to promote WVC.
Bower insisted that Surminski spoke to Meghan for just "30 minutes" before she agreed to be a part of the project. The producer, however, couldn't make it to the trip, and Meghan was accompanied by a team of World Vision marketing executives and a Canadian cameraman.
Bower wrote that Meghan "disappeared" with fashion photographer Jurina after filming a segment with Rwandan children playing with clean water. "For hours, Jurina photographed the perfectly coiffured actress hugging, squeezing, and smiling at village children," the author explained, adding that Surminksi felt the Duchess was "on a path with visions of something good happening at the end, but her destination was unknown." Jurina posted the fashion photos on his website months later when Bower said they would be "more valuable."
Meghan discussed her time in Rwanda on her website 'The Tig', noting how she split her time between Hollywood and humanitarian work. "My life shifts from refugee camps to red carpets, I choose them both because these worlds can, in fact, coexist," she wrote.
"I’ve never wanted to be a lady who lunches – I’ve always wanted to be a woman who works. And this type of work is what feeds my soul, and fuels my purpose," she said, adding, "Guiding my heart through the swinging pendulum from excess to lack of access is sometimes challenging."
Bower also claimed in his book that Meghan made Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, cry in a row over bridesmaids' dresses in the days leading up to her highly-publicized wedding to Prince Harry. While Meghan has denied the claim, Bower wrote that Kate "burst into tears" after the former actress "compared Princess Charlotte unfavorably to her best friend Jessica Mulroney's daughter."
The Duchess of Sussex spoke to Oprah Winfrey about the incident in an interview last year. "She (Kate) was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologized. And she brought me flowers," Meghan said.
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During a recent appearance on 'Good Morning Britain', Bower said Meghan had instructed those close to her not to speak with him. "She made it pretty clear to all her friends and people who work for her not to talk to me, so it was quite an uphill struggle but I got enough people to speak to me, more than enough, I got about 80 people," the author said.
'Overall I came across with the impression of a woman who is very intelligent, very determined, very ambitious but also ruthless.'
— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) July 21, 2022
Today sees the publication of Tom Bower's explosive biography which accuses Meghan Markle & Prince Harry of posting a 'threat to the royal family'. pic.twitter.com/iO0L3vnNOR
Host Ben Shephard then asked him how his book could be considered an unbiased account if he had interviewed only those who disliked the Duchess. "Because I sifted through, I never put in stuff that isn't true and can't be checked," Bower responded.