Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Royal Row With Harry And Meghan Heats Up Before Oprah Interview

Royal Row With Harry And Meghan Heats Up Before Oprah Interview

The explosive claim is the latest salvo in an increasingly heated public relations battle between the British institution and the US-based couple.

Meghan Markle has accused the British royal family of peddling lies against herself and her husband Prince Harry, in an escalating transatlantic war of words before a tell-all interview with US chat show host Oprah Winfrey.

The explosive claim is the latest salvo in an increasingly heated public relations battle between the British institution and the US-based couple.

Harry and Meghan, who married in a fairytale wedding in 2018, stepped down from frontline royal duties last year, in part blaming media intrusion for their decision to move to North America.

But a steady drip of stories in Britain about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as they are formally known - and tit-for-tat responses - is becoming a torrent as the broadcast approaches this weekend.

The new clip released by US broadcaster CBS came just hours after Buckingham Palace said it was probing claims that Meghan had bullied royal household staff during her time in Britain.

"I don't know how they could expect that after all of this time we would still just be silent if there's an active role that 'The Firm' (the royal family) is playing in perpetuating falsehoods about us," she told Winfrey in the clip from the upcoming interview.

Battle for public sympathy


There was no immediate response from Buckingham Palace but comments sparked a predictable frenzy in the British media.

Veteran royal commentator Richard Kay likened the row to the "War of the Waleses" in the 1990s when the marriage of Harry's parents crumbled.

Heir-to-the-throne Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Diana, princess of Wales, gave unprecedented television interviews that lifted the lid on their troubled relationship -- and extra-marital affairs.

That was a similar "bitter and acrimonious battle for public sympathy" to Harry and Meghan, he wrote in the Daily Mail.

But Omid Scobie, royal editor of Harper's Bazaar US, and co-author of a sympathetic biography of Harry and Meghan, "Finding Freedom", said it was merely a chance for them to tell their side of the story.

He told AFP that Meghan, a mixed-race former television actress, was likely to address the racism she faced in the British press and on social media, as well as their "troubles" in the monarchy itself.

But he added: "I think, as is often the case, the noise usually happens before the event itself when it comes to the royal family and the coverage surrounding it.

"In the end it ends up being OK and I think that that'll be exactly the same with this Oprah special. Ultimately Harry and Meghan want to start their next chapter on a positive note."

Royal biographer Penny Junor, however, said the couple's interview, scheduled to be broadcast in the United States on Sunday, and in Britain early Monday, was "obviously very bad timing".

Harry's grandfather, Queen Elizabeth II's husband Prince Philip, 99, has been in hospital for more than two weeks, and on Wednesday underwent a procedure on a pre-existing heart condition.

"I would have thought he'd be aware of it and it's not helpful," Junor said, accusing the couple of spending the last year "courting publicity".

"I don't think doing this interview was a good idea in the first place."

'History repeating itself'


Harry and Meghan's acrimonious split from the royal family was made permanent last month, when the queen removed their honorary titles and patronages.

That followed nearly 12 months in which both sides have tried to control the narrative of their departure, which has polarised opinion on both sides of the Atlantic.

Harry, 36, said in a clip of the Winfrey interview released earlier this week that he feared "history repeating itself" had they stayed, in a reference to the press hounding of his mother.

Diana died in a high-speed car crash after being relentlessly pursued by photographers through Paris in August 1997.

The bullying allegations, first reported in The Times newspaper on Wednesday, however, step up the war of words, with some commentators likening it to the constitutional crisis of 1936.

Then, king Edward VIII abdicated to marry Wallis Simpson, who like Meghan was an American divorcee.

Meghan, who is 39 and pregnant with the couple's second child, said the latest claims against her were a character assassination, and an attempt to "peddle a wholly false narrative" before the Winfrey interview is broadcast.

Since relocating to the US, Harry and Meghan have launched legal action against a number of media publications, alleging invasion of privacy.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
×