EXCLUSIVE: First Signs Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Were Set to Go to War With The Firm Finally Revealed
The first signs Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were about to duke it out with The Firm has been exposed.
Feb. 27 2026, Published 2:00 p.m. ET
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle showed the first signs they were prepared to go to war with the monarchy years before Megxit, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Tensions between the pair and The Firm erupted as early as their 2018 wedding preparations, according to a new royal biography.
The Wedding Started It All
The wedding exposed fundamental differences in vision regarding hierarchy and autonomy.
Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, stunned the world in January 2020 when they announced they were stepping back as working royals and relocating to California. Their departure – still widely referred to as Megxit – followed a series of public grievances aired in interviews and documentaries about their treatment within the institution.
But royal reporter Russell Myers claims in his new book William and Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, the rupture began well before the couple left Britain.
Drawing on what he describes as extensive palace access, Myers writes friction escalated during the planning of Harry and Markle's May 2018 wedding at Windsor.
He writes: "The planning and execution of Harry and Meghan's wedding and the subsequent discussions over their future role pushed relations across the household they shared with William and Catherine to near breaking point."
'First Public Sign of a Crisis'
Biographer Russell Myers claimed that tensions pushed the joint Kensington Palace household to a 'breaking point.'
At the time, Harry and Markle were sharing a joint household at Kensington Palace with Prince William, now 43, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44.
According to Myers, disagreements about the Sussexes' long-term role inside the monarchy deepened strains between the brothers. The couple, he suggests, felt sidelined and unheard as they tried to carve out a distinctive path.
Myers writes: "While the separation of the two households may have seemed a logical step behind the scenes – Harry and William were now married and well into their 30s – it was the first public sign of a crisis that was threatening to envelop the wider institution."
In 2019, Buckingham Palace announced the Sussexes would split from the joint Kensington Palace court and establish their own household, with the late Queen Elizabeth II agreeing to base it at Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace announced the formal split of the brothers' joint court in 2019.
The move coincided with their relocation from Nottingham Cottage to Frogmore Cottage in Windsor – a property renovated over two years at a reported cost of $3.24million, later repaid by the couple after public criticism.
A royal source familiar with the period said, "By the time the households formally split, the emotional divide had already happened. The wedding exposed fundamental differences in vision – about hierarchy, autonomy, and public image – and those differences never really healed."
The insider added: "It was the first unmistakable sign that Harry and Meghan were not content to operate within the traditional framework. They wanted something more independent, and when they felt blocked, the atmosphere became combustible."
Prince William and Princess Catherine's Perspective
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Catherine, Princess of Wales, prioritized stability for her immediate family over intervening in the conflict.
Myers' account also charts what he described as the gradual deterioration in William and Harry's relationship, as well as Catherine's decision not to intervene.
A source close to the Waleses said: "There was a sense that lines had been drawn. Catherine's priority was stability for her immediate family. She was not going to wage a campaign to persuade Harry and Meghan to stay if they were already unhappy."
Myers said about his book: "I've spent almost a decade following The Prince and Princess of Wales as part of the Royal pack and have always believed there's so much more to the couple than the spectacle reveals.
"The result of this biography is a truly intimate portrait of William and Catherine, providing not just unparalleled insight into who they are as individuals, but seismic revelations about them as a couple and the world they inhabit. This biography moves beyond the headlines as it explores love, resilience, and their journey together as they navigate their public duties amid this unprecedented era."
