Tom Bower's "Betrayal" Book discussion thread

[BasiliskStare]

My copy of Tom Bower's new book "Betrayal" has transported itself on to my Kindle . Just started it.
A thread for those reading for discussion if anyone is interested.
All opinions welcome , but no spitting , no fighting 😂

Nice new name though!

He genuinely didn’t know the phrase “ hooray Henry” ? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

It’s definitely getting jauntier now it’s not just a recital of all the terrible things that happened up to Charles’ coronation. This took more than 20 chapters.

Bower identifies Harry & Meghan’s apotheosis as the Ribbon of Hope award just after the Netflix series portrayed them as brave warriors against racism and colonialism. This was the height of their popularity in the US.

Once Spare comes out, their popularity slides dramatically and the A list chums back away quietly.

Interesting. I suspect that was for a couple of reasons.

First, because people generally don't appreciate those who wash their family's dirty linen in public.

More specifically, A listers appreciate discretion. Spare proved that the Sussexes knew nothing about that.

That’s so funny

@Thedom I've just re read the Vancouver Invictus chapter and again & no mention of him being door stepped / arena stepped by the S Sq. I can see.

@Indianrollerbird "I don't agree with the dragon slayer part. Bower has taken on some very big fish, eg Robert Maxwell, Tiny Rowlands, Richard Branson. Several have tried to sue him - unsuccessfully. Maxwell basically had to buy Bower's publishing house to prevent his book being published."

Mea culpa I haven't read those books and actually didn't know he had written them. I suppose I used that phrase because H used it and I ( prob wrongly ) associated it with fools rushing in. I'll stop digging now , but thank you for that point. Which makes me think even more he (TB) will be confident what he has written Thank you .

Funny, I heard him on an Irish and UK station and he literally said the same thing in both. It’s almost like there’s only 2 or 3 things in the book and the rest filler.

I'm on Chapter 8. It's been an interesting read so far blending the claims of Harry in Spare and other situations with the facts of the matter. He doesn't paint the RF as paragons of virtue either so it seems to be a fair balance so far.

I don’t want to derail but Hugo Vickers also has a new book out which is very critical of H and M .

An interesting suggestion in chapter 29:

In 2023, Archewell donated $250,000 to a nascent charity being set up by Ashley Biden. This was one of very few donations made by Archewell that year (they declared more in expenses than they did in donations) and the biggest by a long way.

Ashley Biden’s charity didn’t declare it as income in her tax return.

At the same time Joe Biden was squashing the campaign to get Harry’s visa details published.

Haven’t read the book and don’t plan to as don’t think there are any significant new revelations from recent times (no surprise given NDAs etc) - however I think everyone can agree that a lot has happened in the last few years - there is lots of content / material / incidents etc much directly from the horses mouth - see the volume of threads on here - H&M have been very busy in the public sphere - and at least this book could be a record / timeline and consolidation of activities over the last few years in one place which might reveal patterns of behaviour and show the trajectory of themes in this very unique situation.

For me I am amused on a daily basis at what H&M deliver up each week with such delusional and grandiosity and to see a couple of bullies get ridiculed due to their own ignorance and ineptitude time and time again is satisfying.

I'm about halfway through, and the overriding impression so far is just how unhinged Harry was/is about all the perceived slights from his family and the press. Obsessed with "revenge", convinced he is always in the right, and with no genuine love or care for his grandmother. One genuinely has to worry about his sanity. Meghan seems to have realised quite early on that she had to separate her commercial activities from Harry.

I’ll see if there’s a preview in the newspapers online anywhere.

MailOnline, very prominent:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/royals/article-15685527/distress-harry-meghan-queen-bombshell-new-book-hugo-vickers.html

It’s behind a paywall but I’ll attempt an archive link. Meanwhile I think some of the comments are readable.

Here we go, the Mail / Vickers preview:

https://archive.ph/iT8h6

Not my cup of tea but the preview is ‘adapted from the book’, so maybe the book’s better. I presume Vickers must cite his sources?

That’s really very funny. I suppose a prickly fed up dumpee might immediately misread/misunderstand the wording. I expect Chelsey has said Hooray to herself quite a few times since though I doubt she gives it any thought now. Just Harry still grinding his axe.

Not saying anything new, just a rehash

Alrighty, chapter 35 on the Colombia trip is gold.

Bower itemises Meghan’s expensive outfits and jewellery and contrasts it with the poverty and violence experienced by the lucky locals they grace with their very brief attention. She changes outfits several times a day and rotates through Diana’s watches and earrings and whatnot.

Their host (unpopular vice-president Francia Marquez) reacts angrily when Meghan hugs her partner and starts rubbing his back, storms over, and Harry has to head her off.

They scheduled 15 minutes in a slavery museum but leave after 3.

Their host is expecting a large donation from Archewell and says so in front of an audience in a theatre. (She gets $8310).

Meghan talks drivel about Lilibet “finding her voice” in a country where 6000 young people are assassinated every year and her host sent her children out of the country because of threats to their lives.

It’s time that these ‘hosts’ started doing their due diligence on their guests.

They only donated 8grand??? , that would not even cover what was spent hosting them!!

🫣🫣

According to Bower, the total cost of the trip was £2.9m, most of it covered by Open Society, a charity funded by George Soros. Everyone involved agreed to keep this secret.

Started this on Audible today at the gym. Quite enjoying it but having to listen at x1.5 due to narrator’s somewhat languid style. He’s not painting Kate in a great light so far. Much like in Spare, she’s depicted as stiff and prissy. I suspect she takes her role extremely seriously, and doesn’t let her guard down. This is why there’s not been a single bad thing said about her apart from a few hints by Harry, and indirectly, Meghan.

I’ve read it too, but I think it’s important to look at his sources. During the “Where is Kate” saga, it became pretty clear that Catherine’s circle doesn’t speak to the media—they didn’t seem to have a single direct source.
So what’s left are accounts from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as tabloid reporting. That makes it one-sided, because you never really hear her side of the story.