Buckingham Palace to remain tight-lipped until Harry & Meghan damage is revealed, experts say
Buckingham Palace is deep in counter-attack mode ahead of the next three episodes in the Sussexes’ bombshell docuseries, with experts speculating there is a lot more damage to come.
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Buckingham Palace “cannot relax” until the release of Prince Harry’s book Spare and is preparing a counter attack to barbs expected to be aimed at the royal family including King Charles and the Queen Consort, Camilla.
Royal watchers say the Duke of Sussex has gone “rogue” and the release of his 410-page memoir - with a changed publication date timed for three months after the Queen’s death to maximise publicity - will be “far more inflammatory” than the six-part Netflix series, the first half of which aired on Thursday, topping the streaming giant’s ten most-watched shows.
“The Palace won’t comment until it’s all over, and it won’t be until the second half of the Netflix series, next week, and more worryingly for the palace, until the release of Harry’s book Spare,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliam told News Corp.
“Spare, as the name suggests, is about being overshadowed and won’t be about Harry the child but the man he has become and will go back in history to the 1990s. It will be a lot more poisonous than the Harry & Meghan Netflix docuseries,” Mr Fitzwilliams said.
“Harry has gone rogue, he has not yet made his or William’s views known about how they feel about their father and Camilla - he and Meghan are escalating their fight against the royal family and they’re only just beginning.
“The Sussexes are all about pulling in the money in America, where their ratings are sky high.
“The Palace will talk, when it has read the book.”
The release of Harry’s “emotional memoir” was originally planned for late 2022 but has since changed to January 1 to give the royal family “breathing space” after the Queen’s death on September 8, with palace sources insisting this is to ensure rebuttals are neutralised.
“Charles has only been on the throne three months, the timing for the release of Meghan’s podcast, the Netflix soap opera and the book is deliberate - the king’s memory is not as long as his mother’s, recollections may vary,” a source said.
A 30-second teaser of the final three episodes of the Sussexes’ Netflix documentary has been released showing Meghan apparently describing “direct conflict” within the royal family, stirring up fears inside Buckingham Palace that “next week will be poison”.
At its start, over a montage of news footage, including a picture of the couple with the Royal Family at Archie’s baptism, Meghan is heard saying: “This is when a family and a family business are in direct conflict.”
Harry interjects: “Everything that’s happened was always going to happen to us.”
Meghan, close to tears, again, adds: “Suddenly what clicked in my head was, ‘It’s never going to stop.’”
Harry is shown covering his face with a hand, head bowed, while holding his phone. A pregnant Meghan then hands him a laptop. He says: “There was no other option at this point. I said, ‘We need to get out of here.’”
In the first three episodes of the Netflix documentary series, Harry and Meghan purport to tell the “full truth” of their story, their interactions with the royal family and their experiences of public life, showcasing an incredible 15 hours of personal footage from the early months of 2020.
The series has so far unearthed no major truth bombshells but delved into the couple’s early romance in 2016.
Harry complained about his family’s “unconscious bias” and said in an apparent attack at his brother William, members of the royal household marry “someone who fits the mould” rather than choosing love. He also maintained he had to leave the family officially to “protect” his brood against UK press harassment and move to California.
Harry and Meghan have signed lucrative deals, reportedly worth more than £100 million, with Netflix and Spotify after quitting as senior working royals.
Meghan and Harry’s bombshell Oprah interview in March 2021 drew a whopping 17 million viewers for CBS, and was syndicated around the world.
Since yesterday’s Netflix airing, the royal pair has been accused of wanting to “bring down the monarchy” with criticism of Elizabeth II’s Commonwealth legacy which was denounced as “Empire 2.0”.
The couple today defended their dedication to film the documentary, with their global press secretary Ashley Hansen telling the New York Times: “Their statement announcing their decision to step back [from royal duties] mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties.
“Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series.
“They are choosing to share their story, on their terms, and yet the tabloid media has created an entirely untrue narrative that permeates press coverage and public opinion.
“The facts are right in front of them.”
Friday it was business as usual for the Palace with King Charles and Camilla meeting Wrexham AFC’s Hollywood co-owners on a visit to the area to celebrate its new city status.
The royal couple chatted with actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney and players on the pitch and learned about the football club’s redevelopment.
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