... while The Firm shows united front in a crisis
SENIOR royals joined forces to appear in a BBC One programme celebrating Commonwealth Day as the fallout from Harry and Meghan’s Oprah interview continued.
The Queen stressed the importance of staying in touch with loved ones during ‘testing times’ in a message broadcast just hours before the interview was aired in the US.
As Harry and Meghan were due to reveal their experiences of life inside the monarchy, Her Majesty highlighted ‘friendship, spirit of unity and achievements’ around the world and the benefits of working together in the fight against coronavirus.
‘The testing times experienced by so many have led to a deeper appreciation of the mutual support and spiritual sustenance we enjoy by being connected to others,’ she said in her Commonwealth Day message.
The 94-year-old acknowledged how technology ‘enables people to stay in touch with friends, family, colleagues and counterparts’. She said: ‘We have all continued to appreciate the support, breadth of experiences and knowledge that working together brings.’
The message was pre-recorded at Windsor and accompanied by new footage of the Queen filmed last week at the castle.
The BBC show, presented by broadcaster Anita Rani, was mostly filmed inside Westminster Abbey. It featured the Prince of Wales and – in contributions from home – the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex.
Harry and Meghan were accused of being disrespectful to the monarch’s life of duty when their permanent departure was finalised two weeks ago.
In what was seen as a parting shot, their camp said: ‘We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.’