“As their popularity had grown, so did Harry and Meghan’s difficulty in understanding why so few inside the palace were looking out for their interests,” the excerpt said. “They were a major draw for the royal family.”

Scobie and Durand suggest that some palace officials were actually troubled by the Sussexes’ popularity and there were fears that more senior royals would be overshadowed. Harry is 6th in the line for the throne, behind his father, Prince Charles, his brother William, and William’s three young children, George, Charlotte and Louis.

“The Sussexes had made the monarchy more relatable to those who had never before felt a connection,” they wrote. “However, there were concerns that the couple should be brought into the fold; otherwise the establishment feared their popularity might eclipse that of the royal family.”

The couple’s plan to be part-time royals fell apart during talks with the family, and in January the queen outlined how the couple in March would step away from royal duties, at least for a while, but always remain part of the royal family.

Ahead of the book’s release, Harry and Meghan issued a statement denying taking part in the publication.

“The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to ‘Finding Freedom’,’’ it said. “This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting.”