02 September 2023 , 13:00
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Prince Harry gave a surprising three-word reply when an aide accidentally called him "mate", a royal book has revealed.
The book called Courtiers: The Hidden Power Behind the Crown, by Valentine Low, examines the roles of those who work for the Royal Household and how they help to shape the monarchy. It also looks at the relationships between the royals and their staff and in one section reveals the "subtle variations" between what those working for the royals call their principals. According to the book, King Charles' staff at Clarence House would use formal greetings such as "Your Royal Highness" (before he ascended to the throne) and "Sir".
However, one former press secretary at Kensington Palace Nick Loughran revealed he would be less formal when he was working for Prince William and Harry. While another, Ed Perkins, told how he once got a surprising reply from Harry after making a mishap when addressing him via text.
The book, which is being serialised in The Times, reads: "When Nick Loughran worked at Kensington Palace as a press secretary, he would call Harry by his first name, but tended to be more formal with Prince William because their relationship was not so close. Ed Perkins, who also had a spell as press secretary for the two princes, once accidentally sent a text to Harry saying, 'Hello mate'.
"He recalled: 'I texted back saying, ‘So sorry, just called you mate. I didn’t mean to.’ [Harry] wrote back saying, ‘Please don’t worry.’" Meanwhile, the explosive book has also lifted the lid on life behind palace walls as Harry and wife Meghan Markle stepped down as royals. Meghan and Harry stepped away from royal life in 2020 and moved to the United States where they have been critical of their life with The Firm.
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The rift between the Sussexes and other members of the Royal Family rocked the monarchy and it was only a coincidence that Harry was in the UK when the Queen died as he was here for charity work. The book alleges that Harry had a fear of becoming "irrelevant" and also claims Meghan threatened to break up with Harry if he didn't go public with their relationship. Other explosive details involve Meghan's unhappiness at having to do walkabouts during a royal trip to Australia and the occasion when Harry was told off by the Queen for being "rude".