Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were 'Scapegoats' for 'Dysfunctional Monarchy,' Author Says

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were made scapegoats for the "dysfunctional" monarchy when in reality they were "royal rockstars," the author of a new book has told Newsweek.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex suffered because the royals have never worked out how to handle the younger brothers and sisters of the heir to the throne, who are destined to live in their older sibling's shadow, according to historian Robert Lacey.

In Battle of Brothers, published by William Collins and released on Thursday, Lacey argues that the royal institution could not find a meaningful role for the couple and that Prince William's attitude to his brother was marked by rivalry.

The book looks at the collapse of the relationship between the young princes spanning Harry and Meghan's relationship and back into their childhood together.

Among the explosive incidents is a now widely reported argument in which Prince William triggered his brother's anger by asking him to slow things down during the early stages of Harry's relationship with Meghan.

Lacey told Newsweek: "I think in retrospect there could and should have been more done to accommodate the reality of a self-made American showbusiness celebrity entering the royal family.

"Meghan and Harry are now being made the scapegoat for what went wrong but maybe Prince William was right when he sensed and asked Harry to slow down."

The book details how the rivalry between the brothers dates back to significantly before Harry met Meghan.

Aged 20, the prince went to a fancy dress party wearing a Nazi uniform, sparking public outrage when pictures were leaked to British tabloid The Sun.

Lacey recounts how William was with Harry when he picked up the outfit and the pair went to the party together, but the older royal took none of the public blame, preserving his reputation as a future king.

He said such disparity was the real start point for the feud, which ultimately saw Harry quit royal duties and start a new life in North America.

Lacey told Newsweek: "In his teens when Harry got into various teenage problems which had involved his brother as well but his brother emerged smelling like a rose, the king of the castle, and Harry emerged the dirty rascal. It's popular stereotyping.

"I hope the book goes beyond the personalities to look at the almost anthropological dysfunction of the British royal family and how Harry has been a victim of that.

"I think Meghan has helped clarify that in his mind. He was very happy to play number two and then when Kate came along to play number three.

"But then Meghan helped him see that a subordinate role was not for him."

Battle of Brothers was published just two months after another biography, Finding Freedom, which claimed Prince Harry thought his brother was a snob towards Meghan.

Lacey is less critical of the institution of monarchy, however, the U.K. historian does believe Meghan's passage into the royal family was more difficult than other royal women.

He told Newsweek: "Yes, I do think Meghan has had a harder time. That reflects her own character, her own style.

"We know that Kate wanted to fit in right from the start by the way she changed her university destination to become one of William's circle.

"Whereas Meghan as a young woman at the age of 11 got Proctor and Gamble to change their advertising about dirty dishes from 'Women of America' to 'People of America'.

"Therefore it's not surprising that there would have been difficulties and there should have been more thought given to how to accommodate these very challenging characteristics into the style of the royal family.

"It's easy to be wise after the event and there could have been more compromises in the agreement hammered out in January."

In addition to the royal family failing to properly manage the tension between William, the heir to the throne, and Harry, "the spare," Lacey also suggested that the palace establishment mishandled Meghan.

He argues Queen Elizabeth II should have brought the Duchess of Sussex in "as a top level recruit" due to her existing show business career.

In the book, Lacey describes how at one stage during discussions about their exit from royal life, the queen hoped Meghan and Harry might move to Africa, a continent that the prince has in the past described as his "second home."

However, the suggestion was a far cry from the option the couple ultimately took, of moving to California to start a new life as film producers.

Lacey said: "It may have represented an acknowledgement on the queen's part that Harry and Meghan were at home, the royal rock stars who were overshadowing Kate and William. I think I do feel that William was overshadowed.

"There was a sense even when they were young that William was rather jealous of the loveable rogue persona that made Harry so popular."