Meghan and Harry: The Real Story

I loved this book. A real insight into the real story of Meghan and Harry. I listening to Lady Colin Campbell on YouTube and now her books and I loved the voice of the reader.

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4 people found this helpful

Fascinating, but slightly repetitive

Had a wonderful relaxing listen to this whilst doing a puzzle during lockdown.

The narrator was wonderful - really took you into that posh ol’ world.

The story was super interesting, but at times felt repetitive. Probably because you’re not suppose to sit down all day and listen to it (I had nothing better to do). Really good insights, connections and a perspective into this mysterious life of Harry and Meghan.

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Insightful and balanced

A very insightful book that gives you knowledge and history of the British traditions and also the monarchy. Really balanced views.
I really enjoyable read.

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Loved it!!

Considering this book was released mid 2020 and I have just finished it four weeks after that infamous Oprah interview, Lady C was on the money! I really enjoyed getting a better understanding of H & M’s personalities, history and motives. A great read- thanks Lady C!

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Excellent Read!

Thank you Lady Campbell for such masterful writing. The book is impartial, interesting, incredibly insightful and very well researched. With so much depth to words contained in each chapter I found myself reading many of them more than once. No
part of this book should be missed.

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I enjoyed this book my thoughts on both female invades to the royals

I watch your Chanel often and agree with what you say unless you are English you don’t get the whole feelings we have about our royals

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Mixed feelings but not bad

I began the book appreciating it: It started with Duchess Meghan's upbringing, and much of her missteps were mostly due to her misunderstandings of British Royalty and culture. I have read Scobie and Durant's book in parallel, and I've had much more sympathy for Duchess Meghan in Lady C's book. I felt her sympathy for Duchess Meghan's struggles (though not uncommon from ordinary people's).

It didn't take long us and until the book criticised the Duchess' choices and actions as well as her husband, Prince Harry. I do believe that the Duchess had some level of selfishness and personal gain in all this, but I don't think she is as calculating as Lady C depicts her (or maybe she is often miscalculating, as Lady C says too.) I am unconvinced at the dim-wittedness of the Prince in the book, but I do believe the Prince was love-struck to the point of blindness. If it is the case, I sympathise with his family's worries.

The book often confirms negative publicity that surrounded Duchess Meghan, but not all were elaborated, so I am reserved into believing all of them. The book often quotes Palace sources, be it Royals, staff or previous staff, which I appreciate, but I cannot be sure of those sources.

Lady C by the 2nd half of the book heavily compares Duchess Meghan to Princess Diana, both as a wife to Prince Harry like Princess Diana was to Prince Charles, and as a personality in terms of manufacturing the media. The comparison was to an extent where I felt like it was additional jabs for her book about Princess Diana for the unfaithfulness she had towards the Crown, as so did Duchess Meghan.

It seems that what drove Meghan away was mostly due to an inadequate expectation of foreign press, especially a press that works under a monarchy, as well as petty expectations that the Duchess didn't express to the Royal family and staff. Almost as if Duchess Meghan expected the typical Hollywood fairytale movie, where an atypical woman comes into a Royal family (not typically the second in line) and modernise their concept of monarchy, and even abandon all sense of monarchy for a democracy. It is a fairytale story only 2h movies make for manic pixie girls. The insistence of Duchess Meghan that her way was the best showed a lack of responsibility and accountability from a person thrusted into a high position that comes with immense privileges, meaning high responsibilities, accountabilities, and expectations from the people of Great Britain. The Princess dreams of opulence and all-power weren't on the menu.

The book was easy to listen to, though the French words, to me, felt a bit posh and almost disdainful. Still, I understand some words are just not adequate in English, for example, "accouchement" in comparison to "giving birth" sounds much better, I guess (as a French person, I can't tell). By the second half of the book, the chronology was a bit messy to me, going back and forth between events pre-Master Archie's birth and post-Master Archie's birth.
By the very end, I didn't know if it was intentional, but two paragraphs that were in previous chapters (2-3 chapter before) made another appearance, which was very confusing to me. Either it was deliberate for emphasis, or the book was quickly reviewed and edited for an expedited release that would coincide with Omid and Durant's "Finding Freedom."

The performance of Lucinda Bell Howard was very well-paced and easy to listen to, though it sometimes felt like she was reading a recipe book, I might just be unknowledgeable of English accents. Howard added a lot of playfulness in her performance that made the listen very enjoyable, and wasn't shy to deliver the occasional swear words.

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Fantastic account of Harry and Meghan

A thoroughly considered account of Harry and Meghan, I couldn't stop listening! Lady Colin Campbell's prose is expository and engaging, it draws you into and along with the story. Her insights and comprehensive range of sources are well considered and credible, leaving no loose ends everythig is thoroughly and neatly accounted for. The story/account is explosive in places and always engaging, with compelling insights into situations, events, social groups and customs, and people (mostly from first hand experience) which are pure gems - I love her writing!! I can't wait to read her other work, a formidable biographer and commentator I have no doubt any work of hers will be utterly captivating.

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hmm..,Interesting

an interesting book full of details not known before. does at times border on being unnecessarily nasty and passive aggressive even if the two main characters leave a lot to be desired.

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A better title would be, ‘ Oh how I hate Harry and Meghan, let me count the ways

I’m no fan of Harry and Meghan, but Lady Colin Campbell does not come out of this looking better than they. Despite her claim to be dispassionate and objective, this book is an unrelenting barrage of insult & attack. There is not a lot of substance, just repeated slights & slurs. She also goes in to bat for the English press, painting them as benign (seriously?) even though she says she is currently suing them for a fifth time. Everything Royal is true and good, everything English is the right way to do things, everything US is corrupt and naive, but most of all Harry and Meghan are spoilt, greedy, immature, ungrateful, wingeing gits - said in 1000 different ways.
The repetition and predictability got boring by about the 10th chapter.

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