Prince Harry's 'rash action' that triggered 'shift' with King Charles and Prince William

Prince Harry's rift with his brother, Prince William, may have become public knowledge when he declared they were "on different paths" back in 2019, but there was more than one trigger leading up to it, according to a new bombshell royal book.

While security arrangements and other sibling differences have reportedly been a bone of contention for the brothers, one decision Prince Harry made prompted a "shift" in his relationships with his elder brother and his father, King Charles. As revealed in extracts from William & Catherine: The Intimate Inside Story, a new book by the Daily Mirror's Royal Editor, Russell Myers, it was a hastily issued statement, sent on Harry's order, that raised eyebrows.

After reports of Harry's relationship with US actress Meghan Markle began to emerge in 2016, press and social media interest in her spiked, however, the Prince was quick to publicly condemn the style of commentary - a brash move that didn't have the approval or guidance of the Royal Family's most senior members.

The statement from Harry's spokesperson was shared following a "wave of abuse and harassment" Meghan was facing and served as the first public confirmation of his relationship. Harry said then that he was worried about his girlfriend's safety, and called out the "racial undertones of comment pieces," as well as the "outright sexism and racism of social media trolls and web article comments."

Referring to Meghan's introduction to his family and how Harry's statement was one of the biggest starting points of the difficult years which have followed, Myers writes: "Not long before the story broke, Harry had plucked up the courage to share his secret. She (Meghan) had pulled off a perfect curtsy to the Queen and managed to charm William, even if he felt a little awkward receiving a hug on arrival. Catherine described Meghan as 'friendly', albeit erring on the side of somewhat over-friendly, with a 'touch of California' about her.

"Yet the course of true love never did run smooth and the onslaught of the media interest changed things overnight. The granular details of Meghan's life were suddenly Fleet Street currency, and the boundaries of taste and decency became blurred. Harry's reaction was furious and swift.

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"Without consulting his father or brother, as the hierarchy would normally dictate, he instructed the Kensington Palace communications team to respond at once - highlighting 'a wave of abuse and harassment ... the racial undertones of comment pieces'.

"The media's tone may have dampened, but the interest in their relationship did not. Harry was infuriated that his father and brother admonished him for his rash actions, and the tense conversations left Harry astounded that his own kin were refusing to offer their support.

"This period did indeed mark an outward shift in their relations. Suddenly it was harder to get them in the same room, each giving various excuses as to why they could not - or perhaps would not - be available to engage with meetings together."

In a further extract of the book ahead of its release on February 26, the author writes that Harry's well-known fears about royal security were present right from the early days of his relationship with Meghan - long before the present status of his protracted court battle with the Home Office over UK taxpayer-funded police protection.

Myers writes: "Meghan became a target on social media owing to her biracial heritage and Harry demanded that action be taken. Royal aides informed him they were powerless to act, so he turned his attention to the royal protection teams funded by the Home Office. When told any such protection would not be provided until after he and Meghan were married, Harry was incredulous and appealed to his father and brother to intervene.

"The Prince of Wales insisted he could not become involved in a government decision, especially one where any costs would be footed by taxpayers, but Harry was well aware that Catherine had not only received unofficial guidance from the palace when merely his brother's girlfriend, but that she had also qualified for round-the-clock protection as soon as they became engaged.

"One rule for him and another for me, Harry thought. Prince Charles's decision was final, though, and William's subsequent unwillingness to help sparked a row that ignited a long-running and ugly feud."