Tom Bower’s new book Betrayal has landed with a thud in royal circles, driven by a headline-grabbing allegation: that Meghan Markle pursued a strategy to undermine Princess Catherine and boost her own influence within the palace.
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Bower, known for dogged unauthorized biographies, frames the claim as part of a wider portrait of ambition, media manoeuvring and backstage tension.
According to excerpts circulating from the book, Bower argues that Meghan and her team cultivated a distinctive public-branding approach that at times put the Duchess of Sussex on a different trajectory to the Duchess of Cambridge. The author reportedly cites anecdotes and unnamed sources suggesting deliberate positioning — from media appearances to cause selection — intended to amplify Meghan’s profile quickly after her marriage into the royal family.
Bower’s portrayal taps into a familiar narrative: when a media-savvy outsider joins a centuries-old institution, friction over image, influence and access is almost inevitable. His account casts those tensions in stark terms, suggesting they were not merely happenstance clashes but elements of a broader strategy to secure a dominant public role for Meghan.
However, there are significant caveats. Unauthorized biographies routinely rely on secondhand accounts, anonymous sources and the author’s interpretation of events. Neither Buckingham Palace nor the individuals implicated in the book have confirmed the specifics Bower presents. Meghan’s representatives have previously disputed negative portrayals in similar works, and Catherine’s camp typically declines to comment on speculative claims.