The new royal biography about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, Finding Freedom, carries on to make waves since extracts from it started to be published in newspapers worldwide, this past week.
On excerpt revealed the couple were apparently engaged much earlier than we thought, while another talked about their sweet first date.
Of course the book, written by royal correspondents and authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, also touches on the alleged tensions between the couple and the Palace.
One incident that happened quite early on in their courtship, at the end of 2016, revolved around a piece of jewellery. A necklace to be precise.
Meghan Markle is known for wearing jewellery with a special meaning, often related to her son Archie or her husband Prince Harry, whether it’s personalised with their birth stones like her eternity ring, or their star signs.
The necklace that caused raised eyebrows at the Palace is a simple gold chain featuring two initials, an ‘M’ and an ‘H’, for the at-the-time newly dating couple (similar to her ‘A’ necklace for son Archie, pictured below). She was pictured wearing it while out and about in Canada, where she still lived while filming Suits.
This came just a month after Prince Harry issues a statement warning against harassment and racism towards Meghan, essentially confirming the romance.
According to the authors, “She was advised that wearing such a necklace only served to encourage the photographers to keep pursuing such images—and new headlines”.
They added that “Meghan said little during the call, choosing instead to simply listen to the counsel. But after hanging up, she felt frustrated and emotional. While she knew the aide had good intentions, the surreal experience of having someone from her boyfriend’s office tell her what kind of jewellery to wear or not to smile at a photographer was too much.”
The couple have denied taking part in the book, so of course this incident hasn’t been confirmed. A representative of the couple said in a statement, “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to Finding Freedom. This book is based on the authors’ own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting”.
This article originally appeared on Marie Claire U.K.