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

[12 August 2020 07:15 · sabrina.barr]

Brothers Divided 

Chapter 18 – we’re two thirds of the way through the book. Following on from the previous chapter where we examined the relationship between Meghan and Kate – now we move on to the brothers themselves.

According to the authors the tabloid reports of a rift between the two men were “upsetting to Harry”. But there was no denying that the households were moving apart quite literally – something Harry later told the press himself – although the authors say that there was no hostility and in fact William regularly advocated on the behalf of his brother and Meghan.

This chapter is largely an insight into the endless admin involved in the rearranging of households (staff, budgets, new office spaces, the hiring and firing) and splitting the royal charities that went on during this period. 

Also - Meghan apparently sends sorbet and flowers to her team of staff. We like it. 

[12 August 2020 07:30 · sabrina.barr]

Nesting in Windsor 

We’re back at Frogmore cottage – the couple’s marital home and the place they hoped to raise baby Archie, according to the authors. They dispute rumours that the pair spent £1m on art, and instead were planning to keep a lot of the original features in the home.

One thing at the top of their priority list was security – much improved from a previous home in Oxford, where paparazzi had managed to get photographs of their master bedroom (Harry later took legal action as a result). 

We also get a glimpse of Meghan’s baby shower – there were apparently stork-shaped cookies, macaron towers and a cake with toppers of Meghan, Harry and a pram.

But as we get to the end of Meghan’s pregnancy – things are looking worse with the media again. The authors write “Meghan was suffering terribly” and spent much of the final weeks at Frogmore cottage cooking (she didn’t have food cravings, just guacamole and crudites…). 

[12 August 2020 07:45 · sabrina.barr]

Welcoming Archie

Despite rumours to the contrary, the authors said that Meghan, although originally interested in a home birth, had long put the plan to rest by the time her due date rolled around. 

Meghan did not deliver by C-section and the couple had already picked out a name by the time he arrived. The first members of the royal family to hear about the birth were reportedly the Queen and Prince Philip (and a special royal cousins-only WhatsApp group)

Then of course, Harry told the world. Stood in front of two stables, the authors say the Prince intentionally delivered the news himself – wanting to own the moment for his family.

The authors say Archie was so silent, they wanted him to make some noise so they knew he was okay.

Baby Archie was already getting used to royal life as he received gifts from Jacinda Ardern, Oprah Winfrey, the Clooneys, and many other celebrities. The New Zealand prime minister sent the family flowers, while Winfrey gifted Meghan and Harry with a collection of children's books, which were labelled with stickers that read "Archie's Book Club".

[12 August 2020 08:00 · sabrina.barr]

@ Sussex Royal

Despite the chapter title indicating we’ve moved on from baby Sussex – we start by finding out that once Meghan’s mother Doria went back to LA, the couple decided to hire a night nurse.

But unfortunately, according to the authors, within two nights of work they let the first nurse go because she was “unprofessional and irresponsible”. They had to hire a second.

Later that month the couple was starting to travel again – but it wasn’t without hiccups. Not least on Elton John’s private jet – something the authors say Harry admitted was “a mistake”, over the fact that Harry was “touting the virtues of conservation while flying on gas-guzzling private jets”, the authors write.

But it didn’t overshadow the upcoming launch of Sussex Royal - the couple’s own Instagram page. The authors say friends of Meghan saw her influence on the new platform, with one saying “her voice is getting louder every day”. 

At this point the authors say the couple also tried to air their frustrations about their growth in popularity - now they could control their own narrative - not being reflected in attention from the Palace. The authors say: “These conversations didn’t really lead anywhere.”

[12 August 2020 08:30 · sabrina.barr]

Taking action

The 22nd chapter of Finding Freedom opens with a dramatic turn. The news of a legal case filed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex against the Mail on Sunday, and an open letter written by Harry on the new sussexofficial.uk website explaining the reasoning why.

“Unfortunately, my wife has became one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences – a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son,” he said, the authors state.

The lawsuit against the Mail on Sunday was for “invasion of privacy, breach of data protection, and copyright infringement”, the authors outline, with claims made against the newspaper “for printing extracts from the private letter she wrote to her father in August 2018”.

At the time the lawsuit was announced, a Mail on Sunday spokesperson said: “The Mail on Sunday stands by the story it published and will be defending this case vigorously. Specifically, we categorically deny that the duchess’s letter was edited in any way that changed its meaning.”

This was not the only lawsuit on the agenda, with Harry also filing lawsuits against The Sun and The Mirror for allegedly intercepting voicemail messages of his in the early 2000s.

The announcement of the Mail on Sunday lawsuit coincided with the final days of Meghan and Harry’s royal tour of southern Africa, emphasising the couple’s willingness to take action where they saw fit no matter what else they had going on in their lives.

As the chapter nears its end, we hear of Meghan and Harry’s intentions to redefine their roles within the role family. According to the authors, “they still wanted to carry out their duties for the Queen”, despite the series of events that unfolded at the start of the year.

[12 August 2020 09:00 · sabrina.barr]

Talking business

In the 23rd chapter, ‘The Family Meeting’, we find Harry reportedly torn between his desire to protect Meghan and Archie and his sense of duty as a member of the royal family. He, his brother, his father and his grandmother met for a meeting at Sandringham, after the news of his and Meghan’s decision to step away from the royal family in some form has been announced.

According to a source who spoke to the authors, Harry felt that “there were so many occasions” when the royal family “could have helped them, stood up for them, backed them up, and never did”.

Meanwhile, some individuals working within Buckingham Palace and among the royal family, the authors claim, “blame Meghan” for the turn of events. In March this year, the month she and Harry stepped down from their senior working roles, the duchess allegedly “tearfully” told a friend: “I gave up my entire life for this family. I was willing to do whatever it takes. But here we are. It’s very sad.”

Regardless of the turmoil that occurred within the royal family as Meghan and Harry stepped down from 31 March, with a 12-month review of their “revised” roles currently taking place, “the Queen had always tried to be sensitive to her grandson’s needs”, the authors write, who add: “That one sentiment meant a lot to Harry.”

[12 August 2020 09:30 · sabrina.barr]

Freedom at last?

The final chapter of the unofficial biography takes its name from the publication’s title. ‘Finding Freedom’, an indication of the authors’ personal views regarding Meghan and Harry’s departure from the royal family.

The chapter emphasises the close bond Harry shares with his grandmother, the Queen, with whom he reportedly shared a Sunday lunch on 1 March, an aide describing their meal together as “just granny and grandson”. A source told the authors that it was “made very clear they can come back whenever they want, when they’re ready”, with regards to Meghan and Harry.

March would likely have been a strange time for the Sussexes, as they continued to conduct royal engagements before they’re official leaving date on 31 March. Tears were reportedly shed as she and Harry said goodbye to members of their disbanded team at Buckingham Palace.

Having returned to Canada, according to a friend who spoke to the authors, Meghan and Harry “instantly felt happier and more relaxed”.

Amid the announcement of their new non-profit organisation Archewell, the coronavirus pandemic, a tweet by the US president that made Meghan “roll her eyes” and continued attention in the media, the couple have officially entered the review period of their departure from the royal family. 

The chapter ends with the final word the couple delivered on their now out-of-use Instagram account: “Thank you to this community – for the support, the inspiration, and the shared commitment to the good in the world. We look forward to reconnecting with you soon. You’ve been great!”

[12 August 2020 10:00 · sabrina.barr]

Final thoughts

That’s it, we've made it, 24 hours after we started, Finding Freedom in its entirety. The book does provide a lot of insight into Meghan and Harry’s life behind the scenes, albeit including many anecdotes that are already widely known. The emotional impact of their relationship with each other, and the royal family, navigating the public eye and their decision to step down from the "Firm" makes for interesting reading. But as readers we must remember throughout that this was not a personal account from the couple, but written by two royal journalists who worked with them closely.

It is apparent Scobie and Durand are firmly Team Sussex, which means some anecdotes in the book could be portrayed more in Meghan and Harry’s favour than they would have been had someone else authored the book. And yet, as the duke and duchess continue living their new lives in Los Angeles with their son Archie, speaking out on issues including racism and female empowerment, it does seem as though they have more freedom to do as they wish and support the causes they want than they may have done had they remained in the fold.

So have they found freedom? Only time will tell.

[12 August 2020 13:45 · sabrina.barr]

Not quite Mary Poppins

When Meghan and Harry first welcomed Archie into their lives, they were reportedly hesitant to hire anyone to lend a helping hand. However, as new parents, they soon came to the realisation that a night nurse, who could help “establish a sleep schedule” for their newborn son, could be beneficial, the authors write in Finding Freedom.

However, the process of hiring a nanny did not go swimmingly, the book states. The couple reportedly fired their first night nurse on her second shift “for being unprofessional and irresponsible”, and later struggled to feel comfortable leaving their son throughout the night, the authors write.

To read more, click the link below.

[12 August 2020 14:15 · sabrina.barr]

Free to move in the Golden State

A day after Finding Freedom was published on Tuesday 11 August, it was confirmed that Meghan, Harry and Archie have relocated from their lodgings in Los Angeles to a permanent home in Santa Barbara.

A spokesperson for the Sussexes confirmed the news with The Independent, stating: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved into their family home in July of this year.

“They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbours, as well as for them as a family.”

To read more, click the link below.