Meghan Markle's birthday wish as she prepares to turn 39 amid book bombshell

Meghan Markle turns 39 on Tuesday and this year the things she says she always wishes for in the year ahead are almost guaranteed - for better or worse.

With the tell-all, bombshell book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, set to be released just one week after her big day, Meghan's stated desire for "more surprises" could well be on the cards.

Prince Harry's wife will be spending her special day in her temporary LA home, a Sh2.116 billion (£15 million) mansion on the Beverly Ridge Estate formerly owned by actor and producer Tyler Perry.

While the coronavirus pandemic may make the day a more subdued affair, some form of excitement will not be far off, with scandal and revelations anticipated for the August 11 launch of the book.

There is one thing the former Suits actress always asks for on her birthday.

Every year, she uses her new milestone to reflect on her life and make a few wishes about her future, inspired by her mum Doria Ragland.

"My mom has always said that birthdays are your own personal New Year," Meghan wrote in 2016 on her now deleted The Tig lifestyle website.

"Your own chance to make resolutions just for yourself and what you prognosticate for your year ahead."

So what does Meghan wish for every year?

"More surprises, more adventure, more opportunities to grow, more days filled with giggles and cheeky jokes, more delicious meals, and more inspiration. Always more inspiration," she says.

She previously imparted these words of wisdom to her website followers, after years of struggling with her identity.

She candidly admitted how her 20s were "brutal" and how she was always judging her weight and appearance.

Meghan spoke of how her school days were even worse and she tried everything to avoid eating her lunch alone.

She wrote: "My 20s were brutal – a constant battle with myself, judging my weight, my style, my desire to be as cool/as hip/as smart/as 'whatever' as everyone else.

"My teens were even worse – grappling with how to fit in, and what that even meant. My high school had cliques: the black girls and white girls, the Filipino and the Latina girls.

"Being biracial, I fell somewhere in between. So everyday during lunch, I busied myself with meetings – French club, student body, whatever one could possibly do between noon and 1pm- I was there.

"Not so that I was more involved, but so that I wouldn’t have to eat alone."

But in 2014, Meghan declared she was the happiest she's ever been.

"I am 33 years old today," she said.

"And I am happy. And I say that so plainly because, well…it takes time. To be happy. To figure out how to be kind to yourself. To not just choose that happiness, but to feel it."

She added: "So for my birthday, here’s what I would like as a gift: I want you to be kind to yourself. I want you to challenge yourself.

"I want you to stop gossiping, to try a food that scares you, to buy a coffee for someone just because, to tell someone you love them…and then to tell yourself right back. I want you to find your happiness."

And on her birthday in 2016 she said: "I am feeling so incredibly joyful right now, so grateful and content that all I could wish for is more of the same."

Meghan will certainly find the rest of 2020 something of an "adventure" - but perhaps a trying one, as the royal author behind the bombshell new biography claims "a lot of damage has been done" between the Sussexes and the Cambridges.

Omid Scobie has joined fellow journalist Carolyn Durand to pen Finding Freedom, which tells the story of the couple's decision to quit the royal family.

Speaking ahead of its release, Scobie told People magazine: "A lot of damage has been done."

The book talks about the fallout between the brothers and wives, claiming Meghan and Kate had a strained relationship from day one.

They write: "Though it was not necessarily her responsibility, Kate did little to bridge the divide."

However Scobie and Durand claim that despite their differences, the two women didn't get on, rather they simply had nothing in common and there were some "awkward moments".

The book also focuses on Harry's upset and anger with William in the lead up to the royal wedding, and claims he felt his brother was being "snobbish" towards Meghan.

According to their sources, Wills said: "Don’t feel like you need to rush this" and "take as much time as you need to get to know this girl."

They write: "Harry was p***ed off.

"P***ed off that his brother would ask such a thing. Some felt it was an overreaction.

"But then, this totally sums them up as people — William the calm and rational one, and Harry, who can’t help but take things far too personally."

According to the authors, William was happy for his brother, but "just wanted to make sure that Harry wasn't blindsided by lust".

The book quotes a friend of Harry as saying: “Harry could see through William’s words. He was being a snob.”

His younger brother allegedly took offence to the phrase "this girl", and interpreted it as "snobbish and condescending".

The rest of the royals were also apparently less than welcoming, with one senior royal allegedly referring to Meghan as "Harry's showgirl" - and another saying "she comes with a lot of baggage".

Another senior courtier is said to have told a colleague: "There's just something about her I don't trust."

Harry's belief that the palace was out to sabotage his relationship was the beginning of the rift with his brother.

He is said to have felt "unprotected" by the institutions around the monarchy, and derided by the old guard for being "too sensitive and outspoken".

As the first sensational revelations emerged in previews of the book, Harry and Meghan distanced themselves from it - but did not deny any of its claims.

Extracts published in the Times on Saturday presented a supportive view of the infamous split that saw the couple leave for a new life overseas.

But the couple, currently living in the US, say they were not interviewed for the book and did not make any contributions to it.

"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were not interviewed and did not contribute to 'Finding Freedom'," a spokesperson for the couple said in a statement.

"This book is based on the authors' own experiences as members of the royal press corps and their own independent reporting", the statement added.