Betrayal

by Tom Bower

The British Crown is in crisis, with constitutional threats at home and abroad. Since their infamous 'Megxit' split from the Royal Family, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have dominated global headlines. Ferociously controversial, not least for demanding privacy while seeking the spotlight, the Sussexes have remained a subject of gripping fascination for both supporters and cynics alike. Both camps are united on one platform: what is the endgame?

Fighting to preserve their royal titles and privileges, In their attempts to create a Sussex brand the couple have fuelled bitter hostility. Accusations of disloyalty have been trumped by recriminations about dishonesty. Amid High Court battles with the government and the media, and the infamous publication of Spare, the Sussexes have reeled after successive Netflix flops and their doomed collaboration with Spotify - only to be ridiculed for Meghan's self-invention as a domestic goddess.

At a landmark moment in royal history, the Sussexes' challenge to the British monarchy echoes worldwide. The fallout always threatens to be catastrophic. Just five years on from 'Megxit', can King Charles overcome the scandals that blight the family and limit the Sussexes' threat to the monarchy? Can the broken bonds between the Houses of Sussex and Windsor ever be repaired or will the King choose to strip them of their titles and banish them forever? The Sussexes are in a race against time to solve their predicament.

With inimitable research and exclusive interviews from insiders, Britain's leading investigative biographer Tom Bower exposes the latest contortions in the explosive Royal saga of power and betrayal.

Genres: Biography

464 pages, Hardcover

Published March 26, 2026

About the author

For the author of works on child development, see T.G.R. Bower

Tom Bower (born 28 September 1946) is a British writer, noted for his investigative journalism and for his unauthorized biographies.

A former Panorama reporter, his books include unauthorised biographies of Tiny Rowland, Robert Maxwell, Mohamed Al-Fayed, Geoffrey Robinson, Gordon Brown and Richard Branson.

He won the 2003 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for Broken Dreams, an investigation into corruption in English football. His joint biography of Conrad Black and Barbara Amiel Conrad and Lady Black: Dancing on the Edge was published in November 2006, and an unsuccessful libel case over a passing mention of Daily Express proprietor Richard Desmond in the book was heard in July 2009.

An unauthorised biography by Bower of Richard Desmond, provisionally entitled Rough Trader, awaits publication. Bowers's biography of Simon Cowell, written with Cowell's co-operation, was published on 20 April, 2012.

Bower is married to Veronica Wadley, former editor of the London Evening Standard, and has four children.

Reviews

[Nin · Rating 1 out of 5]

It’s a sign of an impending nervous breakdown when I start reading books like this

[Teresa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel dirty for having read this. I knew it was written by an obvious hatter, however I didn’t think it would be written in such a way that you almost felt like you were searching through H&M’s trash yourselves for any snippet of something to say “Ah Ha!”

[Susie's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I have ever read a book where I have rolled my eyes so much of the many, many things which have been written about in this book! To say that Harry & Meghan are in their forty's they behave like a pair of teenagers who cannot get their own way!

A lot of people will probably say that this book is biased against them and is written to incite hatred against the Sussex's but I believe that there is too much detail in her for it not to be true. Some of the revelations and things that have been in the press the book goes further and gives you the back story and I believe that it definitely happened as it has been written.

Harry & Meghan come across as bitter and lie about incidents to get the sympathy they crave especially when telling "their truths" which really is made up! I believe that Meghan thought her position as Duchess of Sussex was going to be the same level as the now Queen and the Pricess of Wales and did not appreciate the role at all. Harry is just resentful of his whole life and instead of making something for himself, like The Princess Royal has done, is just determined to blame everyone and everything instead of himself.

Their dogged pursuit of money before they left and since is just appalling and towards the end of the book it says that they, in 2026, are at a point where they are quickly running out of money and with no way to finance themselves further without returning to the UK. I am in the UK and to be honest really do not want them back. I think the King would be willing for a reconciliation but the Prince of Wales not at all. After everything which has been said by the pair trust would have to be earned and I am not sure they would be able to get over all that has been said.

The book was well written and again the facts were put out without the Author, Tom Bower, putting his spin on it.

[Chrissy Frost · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘Betrayal’ assembles all the stories that royal watchers have read in the press since Meghan Markle first appeared on the scene. So there is not an awful lot new here, but the stories do carry myriad details you may have missed along the way and these are threaded into a tidy chronological narrative. As we all suspected, Harry’s life seems to be one dispute and law suit after another. Meghan’s life seems to be about attempting to become rich and influential off the back of her fame - courtesy of her marriage to Prince Harry. This doesn’t seem like a love story that will end happily. For fans of royal gossip, Bower tells the whole sad tale very thoroughly.

[Marina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough, systematic review of the Sussexes' live after their exodus from Britain. The author narrates the story in exhaustive detail, painting an ugly picture of Harry and Meghan. My only complaint is that the Invictus Games - a very worthy initiative for wounded servicemembers - has been thrown by him under the bus, perhaps because Mr. Bower incompletely understands how these kinds of competitions work and the validity of PTSD (re: amputees playing vs non-amputees, and wheelchair-bound players competing with physically uninjured ones who also use wheelchairs to even out the odds).

[Lynx · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this as a 3.5-star read.

At first, it was entertaining and propulsive, even though I had already heard most of the material elsewhere. Bower did a good job summarising all the reports into a coherent timeline.

But honestly, the source material is as dull as dishwater. The lengthy descriptions of Harry's legal battles are BORING. And the endless whining… ugh. In this regard, Meghan is much better at keeping it together. By the end, I found myself more interested in reading about her business endeavours. I mean, it's kind of intriguing to see whether she'll make it.