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Prince Harry's friend Tom Inskip 'punished' in shock royal fallout

Prince Harry’s childhood friend was reportedly ‘punished’ for sharing some doubts he had about Meghan Markle, even before the pair were engaged.

According to upcoming biography, Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of A Modern Family, Harry’s pal, Tom Inskip - also known as ‘Skippy’ - advised the Duke and Duchess of Sussex that they should live together before “doing anything more serious”.

the Duke and Duchess of Sussex wedding day
Tom Inskip advised Harry and Meghan to live together before marrying. Photo: Getty Images

The book claims Tom revealed his reservations about Meghan before the engagement in late 2017, which saw he and his wife Lara Hughes-Young ‘punished’ by not being invited to the evening wedding party at Frogmore House following the Windsor Castle ceremony, The UK Telegraph reported.

A source close to Harry and Meghan told the authors of the biography, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, that it caused a fallout between the once firm friends.

“It really hurt him that someone he was so close to would not trust his judgment,” the source told the authors.

tom inskip attended the 2018 royal wedding with his wife Lara
'Skippy' attended the 2018 wedding with his wife Lara but wasn't invited to the party afterwards. Photo: Getty Images

The insider added that while the advice “came from a good place”, the prince was still “really hurt”.

It has been widely suggested that people who spoke to Scobie and Durand did so with the royal couple’s blessing, with the book set to be released this week.

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Tom first formed a friendship with the royal while they were both students at Eton, and the pair were often pictured partying together in their younger years.

prince harry and tom inskip childhood friends
Harry and Tom have been close since they were students at Eton. Photo: Getty Images

They remained close until spring 2017 when the duke served as usher at Tom’s wedding in Montego Bay, Jamaica – accompanied by his then-girlfriend, Meghan Markle.

It is unclear whether Harry has been made godfather to the couple’s son Albert, who was born earlier this year.

Similarly, the identities of one-year-old son Archie’s godparents have also remained a secret.

Additional reporting by Lauren Clark.

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