King Charles' Sympathy for Harry and Meghan 'Soon Disappeared'

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Netflix documentary "eclipsed King Charles at every turn"—leaving the monarch condemning his son as "that fool," according to an explosive new book.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex released their six-part biopic in December 2022, three months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Teasers released in the build-up left the king feeling "genuinely sad" and "angry" but also protective of Harry, according to Endgame by Omid Scobie, which was released on Tuesday.

However, that all changed once the documentary was broadcast.

A source told Scobie: "[Charles] went from not wanting anyone to talk about his son to openly criticizing 'that fool.'"

His concern appeared to focus specifically on the feeling the show was distracting attention away from Charles' other work, including a visit to Wrexham AFC, the soccer club bought by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

A separate source told the book: "Here you have the king doing his damnedest best and no one was watching."

"It was a rousing mini soap opera within the world's largest soap opera—a level of melodrama only the British royal family can produce," Scobie wrote.

"And it eclipsed King Charles at every turn, besting his attempts to highlight his own narrative and promote the monarchy's new Carolean era."

A royal family source later told him: "The king was genuinely sad about the entire situation.

"He was angry but didn't want people to speak ill of his son in front of him, either, It was a brief moment where he paused and realized how bad things had become."

The book reads: "The king's sympathy soon disappeared, however, when it became clear the Harry and Meghan hubbub would overshadow his work, including his participation in a worthwhile cause that received little coverage."

King Charles had been promoting The Felix Project, a charity that redirects surplus food to food banks, and had donated a "large chunk" of its £1 million (around $1.25 million) start up funding.

However, the Netflix show eclipsed the donation and then also the Wrexham visit, marking the town's upgrade to city status.

Charles and Queen Camilla also got a tour of the soccer stadium with Reynolds and McElhenney.

When part one of the documentary dropped, it contained a description of the Commonwealth of Nations as "Empire 2.0," by academic Afua Hirsch, triggering the Daily Mail headline: "Palace Anger at 'Assault on Queen's Legacy.'"

It also featured a viral social media moment in which Meghan attempted to recreate the first curtsy she performed for Queen Elizabeth II. She compared it to "Medieval Times, dinner and tournament."

However, it was part two in the middle of December that contained the most explosive claims, including of royal leaks and jealousy.

"In the middle of the month, Netflix teased the final half of the series, in which Harry claimed he and his wife were victims of 'institutional gaslighting' and revealed new details about how his family leaked stories about the couple to score points with the press and other powerful players," Scobie wrote.

"These were true bombshells, but, just as they had done throughout the entire Netflix ordeal, both Buckingham Palace and those working with William and Kate remained silent, offering no official statements, though complaining plenty to preferred journalists in the royal rota in the form of anonymous source quotes.

"Some of Meghan's claims, including the fact that aides didn't prep her for her job in the firm, were 'a total lie,' a royal source told The Sunday Times.

Parts of the show will have almost certainly made uncomfortable viewing among Prince William, Kate Middleton and their staff too, including Harry's contention that many royal men look to marry a woman who "fits the mold."

The book read: "A 'friend' of William's told the paper, 'I reminded him to keep his rifle pointed at the target and not to be distracted, even though it's all f****** tedious in every sense of the word.'"

Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.

Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.