Prince Harry’s Spending On Pregnant Meghan Markle Sparked Prince William Rift, Book Claims

Prince Harry and Prince William’s alleged rift was reportedly fueled by the younger royal’s increased spending in the months leading to Meghan Markle’s due date, a new book has claimed.

Prince Harry began spending more as Markle’s due date approached closer, claims an explosive and investigative book entitled “Royals At War.”

The book, written by Dylan Howard and Andy Tillett, looks into the split of the so-called Fab Four. It also sheds light on the alleged feud between the royal siblings, as quoted by Express.

Among the claims made in the book is that the Duke of Sussex used to be a keen pubgoer until he met Markle in 2016.

After meeting the former “Suits” star, Prince Harry allegedly became obsessed with yoga. The duke, along with the duchess, reportedly shelled out a lot of money for a showbiz lifestyle, which was a far cry from the image of other senior royals, according to Howard and Tillett.

This newfound spending habit of Prince Harry apparently didn’t sit well with the royal family, the book claimed. His long list of expenses allegedly included aromatherapy, acupuncture sessions, maternity clothes, massages and the multimillion-dollar Frogmore Cottage renovation.

“Harry’s transformation is revealed as one of the fundamental factors behind the deep fissure that opened between him and his brother, Prince William,” the authors wrote.

Prince Harry’s lifestyle also changed before his May 2018 wedding with Markle. In fact, days after the highly publicized ceremony, the Duke of Sussex was reportedly enthusiastic about trying acupuncture.

Then, Prince Harry was also said to have begun hitting the gym and reducing alcohol intake by early 2018. The book claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex started going to acupuncture sessions with the famed Ross Barr – an acupuncturist that reportedly bills at least $100 for a 45-minute session.

In addition, just before their bundle of joy Archie arrived, Prince Harry and Markle shelled out for a “babymoon.” The pair also reportedly stayed at a luxury spa in Hampshire for three nights, and hotel rooms can cost north of $10,000 per night.

Moreover, Markle’s maternity clothes were also scrutinized and were counted as among Prince Harry's biggest expenses. Reports say that the total cost of the former actress’ clothes – which were a mix of expensive designer brands and inexpensive labels – was over $550,000.

But the biggest expense in the list was the renovation of their Windsor residence, the Frogmore Cottage, which totaled to around $3.1 million.

However, Prince Harry and Markle have begun repaying the taxpayer money that was spent renovating their U.K. home after they officially stepped down from their royal duties in April.

While the book has focused on the royal rift, recent reports revealed that Prince Harry and Prince William are still communicating after the former resigned from the royal family. A friend of the two brothers said that after the Sussexes' move to Los Angeles, Prince William and Prince Harry have been chatting on Zoom, Express reported.

“Royals At War” co-author Howard is an Australian entertainment journalist and the former chief content officer at American Media, which owns Us Weekly, OK! and National Enquirer. He has also written about another royal, Prince Harry's mother Princess Diana, in the book "Diana: Case Solved."

Tillett, meanwhile, previously worked with Howard on the book "The Last Charles Manson Tapes."