Finding Freedom book news – live: Meghan underwent mock kidnapping training before wedding and felt ‘devastated’ over father Thomas Markle

Follow live as we read Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand’s illuminating biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Harry and Meghan: A timeline

Ever since it was reported that Prince Harry had started dating Suits actor Meghan Markle, the world has been captivated by their relationship. The pair was first romantically linked in 2016, before announcing their engagement in November 2017, marrying at Windsor castle six months later and welcoming their son Archie in May 2019.

However it hasn’t all been smooth sailing, they have also had to cope with significant struggles, dealing with an unprecedented level of intrusion into their lives, navigating racial abuse directed at Meghan and facing rumours of a rift between them and fellow members of the royal family.

On Tuesday 11 August, Finding Freedom, a biography about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is being published. Written by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the book documents the reporters’ experience of working in close proximity to the couple.

While a spokesperson for the duke and duchess has told The Independent that they had no involvement in the book – it is “based on the authors’ own experiences” in the royal press corps – it promises insight into their lives, their work, and their decision to step away from royal life, following interviews with over 100 royal insiders.

Here is our report on Finding Freedom as we read the book from start to finish:

Please allow a moment for the live blog to update.

Key Points

• Following the release of extracts, Finding Freedom, a book about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, has been published
• Meghan and Harry hid their identities with Venetian-style masks at a costume party just before news of their relationship broke in the press
• Harry reportedly felt "disgusted" by the way he and Meghan were being portrayed in the media before they stepped down as senior royals

[11 August 2020 07:00 · sabrina.barr]

Finding Freedom is finally here

The day has finally arrived. After much anticipation (and several headline-grabbing extracts already made public), Finding Freedom, a biography on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex written by royal journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, is being published.

Join us as we read through all 24 chapters (and 349 pages) of the book, learning more about the things we already knew – how the couple fell in love after being set up on a blind date – to behind-the-scenes events (like the day the couple finally left the royal fold or “the Firm” for good).

We’re already enjoying the playful chapter titles, which include: 'London Calling', 'When Harry Met Meghan', 'A Problem Like Samantha' and 'Duchess Different'.

[11 August 2020 07:15 · sabrina.barr]

A symbolic title

Before we delve into the book, we have to draw attention to its title, Finding Freedom.

This choice of title speaks volumes about the way Scobie and Durand perceive Meghan and Harry’s relationship with the royals.

While some may believe the duke and duchess made a wrong turn by deciding to step down from royal life (and all the power that comes with it), according to the authors, doing so helped them find freedom from the gilded cage they had been living in.

A two-year stretch for Meghan and 35 years for Harry was enough to prompt them to fly the coop, all the way across the Atlantic.

[11 August 2020 07:30 · sabrina.barr]

A look back at the highs and lows

The book opens with one of the most memorable moments of Meghan and Harry’s relationship. Stepping out to the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, Meghan wearing a white Line the Label coat and beaming from ear to ear as she held onto Harry’s arm, the spotlight fixed firmly on the couple as they announced their engagement to the world in November 2017.

Scobie – who appears to be in the driving seat of the narration at this point – describes the day as undeniable “magic” for those who were there.

At this point in time, the couple undoubtedly had some idea about the level of scrutiny their lives would be under in the years to come (Kensington Palace had already issued a statement about media reporting of Meghan at this point), but it’s safe to say what followed exceeded all expectations.

[11 August 2020 07:45 · sabrina.barr]

The normalcy Prince Harry always craved

For some, Harry and Meghan’s announcement to step away from the royal family in January came as a total surprise. To others, not so much. Right off the bat, Durand and Scobie claim they had been aware for a long time of how much Harry desired to lead a somewhat normal life.

The author gives an example of a “small drinks gathering” where the duke reportedly told Scobie he wanted to be “just a normal guy who could pack up and spend a year in Brazil pursuing his own passions” and said he “hated” smartphones being thrust in his face.

He says Harry “deepy craves normalcy” and cites his mother, Princess Diana, taking him to McDonald’s as an example (apparently Prince Harry loved the plastic Happy Meal toy).

[11 August 2020 08:00 · sabrina.barr]

An emotional farewell

If you’ve just joined us – we’re still reading the prologue at this point and have fast forwarded from the happy scenes at Kensington Palace in 2017 to the final day of their official royal life.

The picture Scobie paints of Meghan’s farewell to her Buckingham Palace team as one full of sadness and longing for a different outcome. Meghan and Harry previously said saying goodbye to their team in March was a “saddening” occasion for them and their staff.

We are told the words the duchess reportedly uttered as she and Scobie shared a farewell hug. “It didn’t have to be this way,” she said of her and Prince Harry’s exit from their royal duties.

[11 August 2020 08:15 · sabrina.barr]

Tormented by the tabloids

We’ve made it to the introduction, where we find the couple at Christmas 2019 - when they famously decided to go to Vancouver Island, Canada for the festive season, rather than stay at Sandringham with the rest of the Firm. (Note, this is something previously done by the Cambridges).

But spending the holiday away from Britain for the first time since they started dating – and with their young son, Archie – meant it was a move heavily questioned by the media, despite being signed off by Her Majesty, according to the book.

At this time we get our first glimpse of Harry’s relationship with the press: Scobie describes him reading a tabloid story online about their Christmas plans, saying he was “disgusted” at the way he was portrayed. Most notably, the way he was being attacked in the comment section - he continued to read it anyway, says Scobie.

“Harry instantly regretted opening the link. His stomach tied into the same knot every time he saw those sorts of comments,” it reads.

They say the pair spent the rest of the trip “mapping out various scenarios for their future” (as well as doing daily yoga and making breakfast together…).

[11 August 2020 08:30 · sabrina.barr]

A Californian calls in the capital

Chapter One – 'London Calling' – starts back in 2016, and Meghan is shopping at Selfridges (!!) for some shoes (her favourite designers are Stella McCartney, Chloe and Marc Jacobs apparently). We hear a little more about Meghan’s childhood, growing up in Los Angeles, including some time spent in a “cramped converted-garage” and how that has impacted her adult financial choices.

Next thing we know – Meghan is on a hen do on the Greek island of Hydra as a maid of honour (and it seems Meghan has some strong feelings on penis paraphernalia describing them as “headbands of the phallic persuasion”).

The trip is interwoven into the authors building a picture of Meghan before she was a princess: her childhood, her schooling, her charity work, her college choices, her adult-life before Harry.

The book describes her as anything but a party animal and says at university she was “less Animal House and more Elle Woods”.

[11 August 2020 08:45 · sabrina.barr]

Briefcases and Suits

The early stages of Meghan’s career were worlds away from her future life as a royal. Over the course of two years, hours were spent on the set of Deal or No Deal, poring over scripts in her free time as her fellow Briefcase Models went out for drinks. In the first episode of the rebooted 90210 series, she had to simulate giving oral sex in a car at the start of the school day, something Meghan was “hesitant” to do. “But struggling actresses can’t be picky,” the authors add.

When auditioning for the role that would make her somewhat of a household name on television – the character of paralegal Rachel Zane on Suits – Meghan apparently fluffed her audition. But never one to give up, she didn’t mull over her poor performance. Instead, she set to work, contacting her agent to see if she could have another go. 

“There’s nothing you can do,” her agent replied. “Just focus on your next audition.” Seven seasons later, it was Meghan who had the last laugh.

[11 August 2020 09:00 · sabrina.barr]

Is it love, actually?

Chapter two opens more like a Nora Ephron rom-com. “When Harry Met Meghan”, the title of the chapter cheesily reads. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal eat your heart out.

Several years after breaking into the world of entertainment, Meghan is now enjoying her gains, being paid around $10,000 for appearances at exclusive red carpet events. In addition to her acting career, the Suits star is also trying to make a name for herself in the lifestyle sphere, having launched her lifestyle blog The Tig in 2014. A woman of many talents indeed.

But it wasn’t always obvious she would become an actress, say the authors. In fact, she considered a life in journalism at one stage. “She had always enjoyed writing in school and even thought about becoming a journalist at one point, as it was an opportunity to channel her creativity and frustration,” the authors write. 

The future duchess wrote an anonymous blog called The Working Actress, where she “detailed the pitfalls and triumphs of struggling to make it in Hollywood”. For an individual who has strived to ensure her life is as protected and private as possible, this provided Meghan with an outlet to express her “raw” emotions, under the guise of supposed anonymity.

[11 August 2020 09:15 · sabrina.barr]

Mingling with high society

Even before she married into the royal family, Meghan was already becoming acquainted with the who’s who of British high society. She was friendly with Ralph Lauren PR executive Violet von Westenholz, who grew up going on skiing holidays with Prince William and Prince Harry, and attended Wimbledon, where she supported her close friend Serena Williams and admired her crush, actor Dominic Cooper, from afar in the VIP area. While Meghan and Harry’s union may have come as a surprise to some, others might say it was inevitable given their social circles.