NEW YORK (AP) - If you’re not already on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle overload ahead of their big to-do in Windsor, here’s a few books to take a deeper dive:
MEGHAN: A HOLLYWOOD PRINCESS
Celebrity biographer Andrew Morton’s latest book, from Grand Central Publishing, stretches back to Meghan’s valley upbringing in Los Angeles, the breakup of her parents, her 2013 divorce and her struggles in Hollywood. Tidbits were released early to select media, including this from Meghan friend Ninaki Priddy: “She was always fascinated by the royal family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0.”
Oh, and Markle rehearsed drinking tea before meeting her prince’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II. She learned to crook her finger as she held the cup and saucer.
Morton, who wrote “Diana: Her True Story” and a slew of other royal biographies, also recently took on the story of Wallis Simpson, in “Wallis in Love,” about the woman whose affair with King Edward VIII led to his abdication.
PRINCE HARRY: THE INSIDE STORY
Duncan Larcombe, a former royal watcher for The Sun in London, recently updated this book from HarperCollins to include more Meghan details. He takes us through the prince’s unrulier days as he struggled with the death of his mother, Princess Diana, and how he turned it all around through his military service, counseling and work on the Invictus Games.
Larcombe told People magazine that Harry “desperately wanted to get married and be happy. He sees his brother has found that. The fact that Meghan arrived when she did completes it for Harry.”
AMERICAN PRINCESS: The LOVE STORY OF MEGHAN MARKLE AND PRINCE HARRY
This William Morrow Paperbacks offering by Leslie Carroll takes a juicy tone for the “sexy ginger” and his American princess ahead of their taboo-busting union.
Carroll’s exploration of their relationship covers a look back through centuries of Britain’s rule-breaking royal marriages and those love matches that were never allowed to reach the altar.
Noting that Meghan is 36, the same age as Harry’s mother when she died in 1997, Carroll ends with the birds-and-bees talk Diana doled out when Harry was 8 and William was 10. Carroll writes: “A blushing Harry fled the room. … Diana told her sons, whether or not your bride is royal, ’if she is the person you truly love, then that’s all that matters.’”
HARRY: LIFE, LOSS AND LOVE
Royal expert Katie Nicholl, in this book from Hachette Books, focuses in part on Harry’s relationship with close family, including the queen. She covers his frequent visits to one of his favorite places, Botswana, and details his past relationships while chronicling his romance with Meghan.
Nicholl offers some delicious details about their courtship. Meghan was so at home at Nottingham Cottage that she had a wardrobe of clothes in Harry’s closet and added several more suitcases of belongings. She brought in fresh flowers, organic cookbooks and her favorite Le Labo Santal 26 scented candles to transform his bachelor decor.
Meghan loved making extravagant dinners for Harry, and the two loved watching “The Crown” on Netflix, according to Nicholl.
MISCELLANEOUS
“Harry and Meghan: A Love Story Coloring Book,” 30 illustrations ready to go. Got a royal house museum going? The pictures are perforated for display once you’re finished.
“Harry and Meghan Paper Dolls,” from Dover Publications. Put Harry in his swim trunks and Meghan in the jeans and white button-down boy shirt she donned for the Invictus Games.
“Harry and Meghan 2018,” a paperback planner for the year with the couple on the cover against a royal blue background. Motivational quotes included to carry you through the post-wedding hangover.
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