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Prince Harry films secret interview amid Megflix fallout

Prince Harry fired off his next salvo in the battle of brothers by quietly recording an unannounced, major UK TV interview about his upcoming memoir, Spare.

Meghan wanted 'peace' but it 'doesn't feel very peaceful'

Prince Harry is reportedly recording an unannounced interview with a major broadcaster in the United Kingdom in his first public comments since the fallout of his Netflix series with his wife Meghan Markle.

While US news anchor Anderson Cooper is set to interview Prince Harry days before the release of his memoir Spare on January 10, The Times revealed that the Duke of Sussex was already in the process of prerecording a lengthy sit-down interview with ITV broadcaster Tom Bradby

News of the new interview came as King Charles hosted his first annual Christmas meal for the wider royal family as monarch at Windsor Castle.

Dozens of royals attended, with the Earl and Countess of Wessex and Zara Tindall among the first to arrive.

Bradby, who has known both Prince Harry and Prince William since they were teenagers, is said to be recording the interview to air early January.

It will coincide with the release of Spare, which is feared by the palace to be more controversial than the Netflix series.

The palace is bracing for more incendiary allegations from the monarch’s second son, with each sit-down interview since their Oprah tell-all revealing more of the inner machinations of the monarchy.

A source close to the royal family told Entertainment Tonight “there is no trust left” between Prince William and Prince Harry ahead of the release of Spare.

The source said “everyone remains wary” about the book.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their infamous Oprah Winfrey interview. Picture: CBS
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during their infamous Oprah Winfrey interview. Picture: CBS

The presenter of ITV’s News at Ten has a storeyed history of interviewing the royal family, having helmed the first interview with Prince William and then Catherine Middleton after they were engaged in 2010.

The engagement press call for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex featured heavily in their Netflix show, which Ms Markle called a heavily orchestrated reality show.

Bradby was also the anchor of the now-infamous documentary of the couple’s tour of Africa in 2019 when he asked Ms Markle how she was doing soon after the birth of their first child, Archie.

“Thank you for asking, because not many people have asked if I’m OK. But it’s a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes,” Ms Markle responded.

The response was widely criticised in the UK press, and was pointed to in the Netflix series as an example of the country’s misogyny.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle interviewed by ITV’s Tom Bradby, a friend of the Sussexes, in Africa. Picture: Supplied
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle interviewed by ITV’s Tom Bradby, a friend of the Sussexes, in Africa. Picture: Supplied

ROYALS CONFIRM CHRISTMAS PLAN

King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort will spend Christmas with family members at Sandringham for the first time in three years, Buckingham Palace has confirmed.

As the royals mark their first Christmas without the late Queen, there will be a return to traditional royal festivities at the Norfolk estate.

King Charles and his wife will be joined by other members of the royal family for the morning church service in Sandringham.

King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort will spend Christmas at Sandringham. Picture: AFP
King Charles and Camilla, Queen Consort will spend Christmas at Sandringham. Picture: AFP

It is likely the Prince and Princess of Wales and their children will attend as well as Princess Anne and the Earl and Countess of Wessex. It remains to be seen if Prince Andrew will make a public appearance.

Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales will likely be at the Sandringham church service. Picture: Getty
Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales will likely be at the Sandringham church service. Picture: Getty

Questions also remain over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their Netflix series launched an unprecedented attack on the Royal Family, accusing the King of “lying” and the Prince of Wales of “screaming” at his brother.

Christmas at Sandringham follows a break due to the Covid pandemic. The late Queen spent the festive period at Windsor Castle two years in a row, the first with the late Duke of Edinburgh, separated from her wider family in lockdown.

ROYAL FAMILY BRACES FOR PRINCE HARRY’S TV INTERVIEW

The Duke of Sussex is poised to launch another grenade at the royal family in a tell-all interview as part of his publicity campaign for his explosive new memoir that is set to attack the King and Camilla, Queen Consort.

It is believed Prince Harry will take aim again at his father King Charles and second wife in a wide-ranging interview with leading US television anchor Anderson Cooper days before the autobiography is published.

The 38-year-old Prince will be promoting his autobiography Spare, which the publishers claim will be a “landmark publication” telling his story with “raw, unflinching honesty”.

Meanwhile, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have called for a summit with the royal family to address their “issues” after their damning six-hour destructive Netflix series that heaped untold damage on the monarchy.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day. Picture: Netflix
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their wedding day. Picture: Netflix

The book opens with his journey walking behind his mother’s coffin when he was just 12 on the day of her funeral between his father and his uncle and will tell the story “about the man I have become.”

It is also a tale of his rise above adversity and “love conquering all”, when he met and fell in love with actress Meghan Markle and left the royal family to become a “working royal.”

Insiders say members of the royal family have been left in “nervous anticipation” of the book’s release on January 10.

The TV interview is expected to be broadcast on Mr Cooper’s 60 Minutes show on TV network CBS on Sunday, January 8.

“Harry has gone rogue, and says about his autobiography no one will be spared,” royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told News Corp.

“Nobody knows his feelings about the King in light of his mother‘s death, and Camilla, this is Harry‘s opportunity to tell everyone exactly what he thinks and he has said he’s not holding back.”

CNN's Anderson Cooper, whose brother leapt to his death from the family’s Manhattan apartment in 1988, will interview Prince Harry. Picture: Supplied
CNN's Anderson Cooper, whose brother leapt to his death from the family’s Manhattan apartment in 1988, will interview Prince Harry. Picture: Supplied

Mr Cooper, 55, has campaigned to promote better mental health and hosts a podcast called All There Is.

He has talked candidly about losing his brother Carter to suicide. The 23-year-old plummeted to his death from the family’s 14th-floor flat in Manhattan in 1988. Mr Cooper also has some experience of reporting in combat zones including from Afghanistan, where Harry spent two tours of duty.

Prince Harry receives a text message from brother Prince William in the Netflix series. The Sussexes’ calls for a “summit” with the Palace have gone ignored. Picture: Netflix
Prince Harry receives a text message from brother Prince William in the Netflix series. The Sussexes’ calls for a “summit” with the Palace have gone ignored. Picture: Netflix

“Mr Cooper has won Harry’s trust. This would be a coup for Mr Cooper and fits well with Harry’s campaign to promote mental health,” a television source said.

Seeming to understand the couple’s plight, Mr Cooper told reporter and friend of the couple Afua Hirsch: “The notion of being hounded by the press is going to have such strange, weird echoes for Prince Harry given what happened to his mum.”

Originally published as Prince Harry films secret interview amid Megflix fallout

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Original URL: https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/royal-family-braces-for-prince-harrys-tv-interview-with-us-reporter-anderson-cooper/news-story/498fa646b8046af1b96dd6205e983be2