Celebrity
Harry & Meghan Denied Claims They’re Publicly Attacking The Queen
The royal couple’s legal team wrote to at least one British newspaper.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s lawyers have written to at least one major British newspaper to deny claims that they have “rekindled a rift” with the royal family by “publicly attacking” the Queen.
According to The Daily Beast, the couple’s lawyers stated that the reporting is “false and inaccurate”. It comes after excerpts from a new chapter of Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family were published by People magazine this week.
In the extract, co-authors Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write: “The queen’s ‘recollections may vary’ comment did not go unnoticed by the couple, who, a close source said, were ‘not surprised’ that full ownership was not taken. ‘Months later and little accountability has been taken,’ a pal of Meghan added. ‘How can you move forward with that?’”
The comment references the Queen’s official statement following the couple’s explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey, which read: “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.”
Following the release of the new chapters, several, mostly tabloid, publications reported that the comments represented a new development in the rift between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family. The Sun newspaper’s front page read “Blame of Thrones” and accused the Sussexes of taking “a swipe at the Queen” while the Metro called it “a war of words.”
Sources told The Daily Beast that journalists have been advised to write stories about the couple with care. One source said: “It seems to be an increasing trigger point for the Sussexes.
“The claims that have been published were sourced from a new chapter in the unauthorised biography, Finding Freedom. The attorneys for Harry and Meghan claim the authors do not speak for them and that the writers have ‘written about their take on matters.’”
Harry and Meghan have continuously distanced themselves from the book and its co-authors, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand. However, Scobie, the Royal Editor-at-Large at Harpers Bazaar, does appear to have a relationship with the couple and was even in attendance at their farewell party as they prepared to leave the UK in 2020.
