Prince Philip Sees Harry’s Exit as a ‘Dereliction of Duty,’ Book Claims

Having dedicated seven decades to royal duties himself, Prince Philip has struggled to come to terms with his grandson Prince Harry’s decision to step away at a young age.

“It grieves Philip that many younger members of the royal family do not appear to share his values,” royal biographer Ingrid Seward writes in her upcoming book, Prince Philip Revealed, per an excerpt published by the Daily Mail on Sunday, September 6. “He has struggled greatly, for example, with what he sees as his grandson Harry’s dereliction of duty, giving up his homeland and everything he cared about for a life of self-centered celebrity in North America.”

Prince Philip Sees Prince Harry Royal Exit as a Dereliction of Duty
Prince Philip and Prince Harry POOL/Shutterstock; Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

The author claims that Philip, 99, “has found it hard to understand exactly what it was that made his grandson’s life so unbearable” in the U.K. prior to Harry’s move to California earlier this year with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their 15-month-old son, Archie.

“As far as Philip was concerned, Harry and Meghan had everything going for them: a beautiful home, a healthy son and a unique opportunity to make a global impact with their charity work,” Seward writes. “For a man whose entire existence has been based on a dedication to doing the right thing, it appeared that his grandson had abdicated his responsibilities for the sake of his marriage to an American divorcée in much the same way as Edward VIII gave up his crown to marry Wallis Simpson in 1937.”

Prince Philip Sees Prince Harry Royal Exit as a Dereliction of Duty

Harry, 35, and Meghan, 39, announced in January that they would step back as senior members of the British royal family. They marked their last day as royals on March 31. After spending time in Canada and at their friend Tyler Perry’s Beverly Hills home, the couple quietly purchased a $14.7 million mansion in the Montecito enclave of Santa Barbara, California, in June.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex became financially independent on Monday, September 7, after their spokesperson announced that Harry repaid the $3.1 million he and Meghan spent on renovations to their U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Commonwealth Day Service Prince Philip Sees Prince Harry Royal Exit as a Dereliction of Duty
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle attend the Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 9, 2020. Tim Rooke/Shutterstock

Since moving stateside, Harry and Meghan, who married in May 2018, have been busy. They announced on Wednesday, September 2, that they signed a multi-year deal with Netflix to produce films, docuseries, documentaries, scripted shows and children’s programming.

“Working in the entertainment industry isn’t something [Harry] particularly thought about doing as royal, but since separating from the royals, he now has the opportunity to explore new, exciting opportunities and can’t wait to get his upcoming projects off the ground,” a source exclusively told Us Weekly in August.

Prince Philip Revealed hits U.S. bookstores on October 20.

Us Weekly has reached out to Buckingham Palace and Harry’s spokesperson for comment.

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source: usmagazine.com