Prince Harry denied he had ‘blindside’ his grandmother, saying he had too much respect for her
One person in the royal family escaped the ire of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their devastatingly critical tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey: the Queen.
Prince Harry’s hurt at being “let down” by Prince Charles; Meghan’s claim that the Duchess of Cambridge made her cry, and not the other way around; Harry’s sadness at his rift with Prince William – all was laid bare.
Continue reading...Caught between a hate-filled media and a terrified royal family, the surprise is not that the couple struck out on their own. It’s that they didn’t escape much sooner
A seldom remembered fact about the royal family is that, before the death of Princess Diana, it was not normal to be interested in them. Tabloids were fascinated, but it was more of a convention than news – like a splash about tomatoes causing cancer, it was the out-of-office auto reply of the industry, a fallback. The family (I seriously dislike the affectation of calling them “the Firm”) survived while there was nothing to see. They were caught between two irreconcilable forces – their own culture of discretion, on one side, and intense, 24-hour scrutiny on the other – and they navigated that with a studied blandness. What did they actually care about? Manners, duty, causes, the Commonwealth. Whatever curiosity surrounded them, they simply did not reward it, and the regular response to that, after a few centuries and whatnot, was to not be terribly curious.
You may recall David Blaine, the magician who lived in a glass box above the Thames for 44 days in 2003: people really wanted to know what he was doing, even though we could see what he was doing – and that was mainly nothing. There grew a peculiar resentment of gawping at something that was only interesting because it was untouchable. But we could see for ourselves that it was not interesting – and then everyone got annoyed and some of us (not me) threw eggs. Eventually, hawkers started selling eggs. That pretty much sums up the experience of the royals pre-1997.
Continue reading...Highly-anticipated prime time two-hour special with Duke and Duchess of Sussex airs as transatlantic public relations war mounts
Oprah is now at Meghan and Harry’s new home in Santa Barbara.
There are many chickens. “Archie has always wanted chickens,” says Harry.
Before we cut away to an ad break, there is a clip of Oprah asking: “Were you silent, or were you silenced?”
Continue reading...Queen, Charles, Camilla, William and Kate to pay tribute to the world’s healthcare workers in TV broadcast
In an apparent attempt to grab attention before the airing of Prince Harry and Meghan’s tell-all interview, senior members of the royal family are to show a united front on Sunday and praise the efforts of doctors and nurses.
Just hours before the interview with Oprah goes out, Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Camilla, William and Kate will appear in a programme celebrating the Commonwealth and paying tribute to the world’s frontline healthcare workers.
Continue reading...Royal experts predict the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not target members of the royal family
As the world awaits Sunday’s interview with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex against a toxic canvas of bullying and smear claims, the key question must be: what should Buckingham Palace fear most?
Anticipating what will fall from the couple’s lips under Oprah Winfrey’s “no off-limits” questioning is clearly taxing those at the heart of the British monarchy.
Continue reading...Meghan and Harry will not be involved in investigation, announced just before Oprah Winfrey interview
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have yet to be contacted by Buckingham Palace after it announced it would launch an investigation into allegations of bullying by the duchess, the Guardian understands.
Harry and Meghan will not be personally involved in the investigation as they are no longer part of the royal household, but the Los-Angeles based couple are understood to be hoping to hear details of what the process will entail.
Continue reading...The summits and rival statements since Prince Harry and Meghan stood back as senior royals
Prince Harry and Meghan married in May 2018 and within months the tensions between them and the rest of royal family began to emerge:
Continue reading...Duchess of Sussex criticises ‘the firm’ in latest excerpt ahead of broadcast of full Oprah Winfrey interview
The Duchess of Sussex has claimed in a new clip of her forthcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey that the palace is “perpetuating falsehoods” about her and Prince Harry.
In the clip released on Wednesday night in the US, Meghan was asked by Oprah how she felt about the palace hearing her “speak her truth today”.
Continue reading...Aide alleged in 2018 that Duchess of Sussex’s behaviour had driven out two personal assistants, say reports
The Duchess of Sussex is said to be “saddened” by a report, days before the broadcast of an interview with Oprah Winfrey, claiming she faced a bullying complaint at Kensington Palace.
The Times reported that a complaint was made in October 2018 by Jason Knauf, then the Sussexes’ communications secretary, which alleged Meghan had driven two personal assistants out of the household and was undermining the confidence of a third staff member.
Continue reading...Tens of thousands sign petition to investigate mechanism that allows Queen to vet draft laws
More than 50,000 people have called for a parliamentary investigation into an “unfathomable” mechanism that allows the Queen to vet draft laws before they are approved by the UK’s elected representatives.
They have signed a petition supporting an urgent investigation by a House of Commons committee as they are concerned that the “royal family has a worrying and undemocratic ability to influence the government behind closed doors”.
Continue reading...The Sussexes are the latest in a line of celebrities to try to rebuild their image by talking to the chatshow queen
You could have forgiven the British royal family for giving primetime, tell-all interviews a wide berth for the foreseeable. The evisceration of Prince Andrew by the BBC’s Emily Maitlis in 2019 managed to achieve the near-impossible: making the Duke of York appear more dubious and less sympathetic.
But if we have learned one thing about the Sussexes, Harry and Meghan, it’s that they are intent on doing pretty much the opposite of what the other royals want them to do. So next Sunday, 7 March, a 90-minute special, Oprah with Meghan and Harry, will air on the US network CBS. There is also understood to be a bidding war between UK broadcasters – though not the BBC – for the interview, which, it is promised, will be “intimate” and “wide-ranging”.
Continue reading...Duke of Sussex says he is happier with series than news stories about Meghan or his family
The Duke of Sussex has defended the Netflix series The Crown, saying that – while it was not “strictly accurate” – it portrayed the pressures of royal life.
In an interview with James Corden for the US programme The Late Late Show, Prince Harry said he minded the intrusions of the media into his family’s life much more than the miniseries, which was “obviously fiction”.
Continue reading...Awkward timing lays bare fractures in royal family
On the last Commonwealth Day, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared in public with the Queen and other senior royals for a final time before they departed the UK for North America.
One year on, and the fracturing of the royal family is clearly marked as the Queen, Prince of Wales and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge appear in a special televised broadcast to celebrate the Commonwealth, while hours later the Sussexes appear on TV in the US for an “intimate” and “wide-ranging” interview with Oprah Winfrey about their experience of leaving the royal fold.
Continue reading...Duke of Edinburgh was admitted to King Edward VII’s hospital in London on Tuesday after feeling unwell
The Prince of Wales has visited his father the Duke of Edinburgh in hospital.
Philip, 99, was admitted to King Edward VII’s hospital in London on Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure after feeling unwell and walked unaided into the medical centre.
Continue reading...Duke of Edinburgh was admitted to King Edward VII’s hospital in London after feeling unwell
The Duke of Edinburgh is expected to remain in hospital for “observation and rest” into next week, sources have said.
Prince Philip was admitted to King Edward VII’s hospital on Tuesday evening after feeling unwell and walked unaided into the medical centre.
Continue reading...Tumultuous exit of Canada’s governor general prompts questioning of role and monarchy
The tumultuous exit of Canada’s governor general has left Canadians questioning the need for a constitutional monarchy, according to new polling which shows that 55% of respondents believe the royal family is no longer relevant.
In Canada, the governor general is the representative of Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. The role has long been seen as largely ceremonial, but moved to the political centre stage last month when Julie Payette stepped down from her position amid allegations of bullying and harassment of staff.
Continue reading...Analysis: Couple’s treatment by a critical UK press made any return as working royals unlikely
The decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to permanently step down as working royals comes as no surprise.
When they first announced their wish to no longer perform royal duties, and to become financially independent – blindsiding Buckingham Palace by making their intentions public before matters had been negotiated with the Queen – it was hard to see how they could return.
Continue reading...Duke and Duchess of Sussex to give up honorary military appointments and royal patronages
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not return as working members of the royal family, Buckingham Palace has said.
Prince Harry and Meghan are also giving up their royal patronages. The announcement follows weeks of speculation about their future as the one-year review of their position, announced at the time they moved away from the UK, neared.
Continue reading...Duke of Edinburgh taken to King Edward VII’s hospital in London, Buckingham Palace says
The Duke of Edinburgh has been admitted to hospital after feeling unwell, Buckingham Palace said.
Prince Philip, who is 99, was admitted on the advice of his doctor and a palace statement said it was a precautionary measure.
Continue reading...Famous past appearances suggest Harry and Meghan should be wary of opening up to Oprah
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are due to give a “wide-ranging” interview with Oprah Winfrey next month, and according to a source the couple will not want to say anything to undermine their love and respect for the Queen. However, when royals face TV interviewers, it doesn’t always go to plan, as previous examples illustrate.
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