‘Institutional gaslighting’: Harry and Meghan ramp up attacks
In part 2 of the Netflix series, Prince Harry abandons any pretence of familial decorum, claiming people lied to protect his brother, Prince William.
Prince Harry has abandoned any pretence of familial decorum, claiming people lied to protect his brother and heir to the throne, Prince William.
In an astonishing rant that has elements of jealousy that he is the “spare” – the title of his soon to be released memoir – Harry brought out his oft-used adjective when describing racism, accusing unknown people, but presumed to be the monarchy, of “institutional gaslighting’’.
The latest tirade comes in the new trailer for the final tranche of the couple’s Netflix series “Harry & Meghan”, released in Australia on Thursday evening.
In the trailer Harry, 38, fires a broadside at his oldest brother and heir to the throne, saying: “They were happy to lie to protect my brother.’’
In line with the lack of detail of the previous revelations, Harry then insisted: “They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”
Meghan, 41, is seen complaining: “I was not being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves”.
The trailer hints that the Palace may have been focusing attention on Harry and Meghan’s antics, which at the time included claims of high staff turnover and bullying to deflect from issues around William and Kate, as well as Prince Andrew’s legal worries about his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein. But Harry could be also referring to the British media. Harry has previously and bitterly accused the press of manipulation.
The trashing of the Royal Family could ignite further moves to strip the couple of their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles. Polls in England show more than half the population wants them to be totally divorced from the monarchy and unable to cash in on their royal association and titles after the first three parts which spectacularly claimed Britain was racist and derided the Queen’s lifetime of work with the Commonwealth. Meghan is even shown mocking a slow deep curtsy to the Queen.
A Tory member of parliament Bob Seely has been looking at introducing a private member’s bill early next year to amend the 1917 Titles Deprivation Act.
That act, introduced during WWI to deprive enemies of the UK of their titles, removed the dukedom of Albany from His Royal Highness Charles Edward, and that Cumberland and Teviotdale from His Royal Highnesses Ernest Augustus. Augustus’ son, the Duke of Brunswick and Henry the Viscount of Taaffe of Coren and Baron of Ballymote were also stripped of their titles. If parliament agreed to the bill’s amendment the Privy Council could downgrade Harry and Meghan’s royal status.
Mr Seely told the Press Association: “There is a political issue. As well as trashing his family and monetising his misery for public consumption, he is also attacking some important institutions in this country.”
The Netflix documentary has been criticised for being lopsided, using fake footage to imply paparazzi harassment and for claiming that the Royal Family declined to comment.
Harry infamously said that royal men married women who were suitable and “fit in the mould”, whereas he married for love. He also claimed he had no support in the years after his mother, Diana, the Princess of Wales died in a car crash in 1998.
Following the release of the first tranche of three episodes last week, palace aides have insisted that controversial claims made by the Sussexes are not true.
Meghan suggests that she didn’t invite her niece Ashleigh to their 2018 wedding at Windsor Castle because of pressure from the palace. The Sunday Times reported an aide saying: “Meghan didn’t want the media to know about Ashleigh. No one on earth would have said don’t invite family to the wedding. That’s a complete and utter lie. We wanted more family there to make it look less weird for her.” Only Meghan’s mother Doria Ragland attended the celebrity-laden wedding.
Palace sources also said it was a “total lie” that Meghan had to work out royal protocol by herself and wasn’t given any assistance in royal etiquette. One royal staffer compiled an extensive dossier about expectations and lists of experts who could assist. The Queen also organised for Sophie, the Countess of Wessex to be on hand, and for one of her trusted aides, Australian woman Samantha Cohen to provide support.
More Coverage
Navalny wrote he knew he would die in prison in new memoir
Alexi Navalny, Vladimir Putin’s top political opponent, tragically wrote ‘there will not be anybody to say goodbye to’ from prison in his posthumous memoir set to be released later this month.
Hezbollah fires at Israel as wars rage on Yom Kippur
Hezbollah launched a series of strikes at an Israeli military factory on the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, after the IDF ‘deliberately targeted’ UN peacekeepers working in Lebanon.