Meghan’s claims in interview called into question by experts

THE Duchess of Sussex’s accusation that her son Archie was unfairly denied a title was among a number of claims made during the Oprah interview that were questioned by royal experts.

The Duchess said she had wanted Archie to be a prince so he could have police protection, and expressed her shock at the idea of the first person of colour in the family not being titled in the same way as other grandchildren.

She said she had no particular regard for the “grandeur” of official titles, but added that she resented “the idea of our son not being safe”. However, royal rules suggest Archie was not yet entitled to be styled as a prince.

In 1917, King George V decided to limit the number of royal highnesses within the family. He decreed that only the children of the monarch, and grandchildren of the monarch in the male line, would be given the title.

The Queen stepped in ahead of Prince George’s birth to issue a Letters Patent to ensure all the Cambridges’ children would have fitting titles. But the Cambridges’ children are the offspring of a future monarch whereas Archie is not. He will be entitled to be an HRH, however, when the Prince of Wales accedes to the throne.

Indeed, sources close to the Duke and Duchess suggested to The Sunday Times in May 2019 that they considered Archie a “private citizen”. The couple had insisted he be styled “Master”, the source said, adding that the Sussexes were not using a title for their son in the hope he would live a more normal life.

Royal experts pointed out that decisions about security are made by the Government and the Metropolitan Police, rather than the Palace.

The Duchess also claimed that she had been “silenced” by Buckingham Palace as she struggled to get to grips with life as a royal. However palace officials previously hit back at the idea that the Duchess was left to fend for herself. Last week, an email emerged showing that the Duchess had been the subject of bullying complaints from aides. Buckingham Palace is investigating the allegations.

Palace aides have insisted that they tried their best to welcome the Duchess but she “wanted to be the victim”. One source told The Times: “Everyone knew that the institution would be judged by her happiness. The mistake they made was thinking she wanted to be happy.”

Another claimed: “She wanted to be the victim because then she could convince Harry that it was an unbearable experience and they had no choice but to move to America.” Lawyers for the Duke and Duchess have denied this.

Media insiders pointed out that in the months and years following their marriage, palace aides had issued a stream of on and off the record denials attempting to defend their reputation.

The Duchess also accused the Palace of throwing “holiday parties” for journalists to try and get better press. But their claims were rebuffed by the Society of Editors, who said it was “not acceptable” for the couple to make such accusations without giving evidence.

The Duchess also claimed that she was completely unprepared for her role and “didn’t do any research” into the monarchy before marrying Prince

‘She wanted to be the victim because then she could convince Harry that it was an unbearable experience’

Harry. She claimed that Sarah Ferguson had to teach her how to curtsy before meeting the Queen, adding that she had “never looked up her husband online”.

However, in previous interviews friends of the Duchess have revealed that she was fascinated by the royals in her youth. Before the wedding in 2018, Ninaki Priddy, who was the Duchess’s maid of honour at her first wedding to Trevor Engelson, said her friend was “always fascinated by the Royal family. She wants to be Princess Diana 2.0”. She said: “She had one of Princess Diana’s books [Diana: Her True Story by Andrew Morton] on her bookshelf.”

The Duchess also claimed she had been forced to “turn over” her passport, driving licence and keys upon joining the Royal family, adding that Harry had “saved my life” by agreeing to move to Los Angeles. Despite the apparent loss of her passport, she did travel to New York in Aug 2019 for her baby shower.

The Duke also insisted the couple did not blindside the Queen with their announcement that they planned to leave the Royal family in January last year. At the time, however, senior Palace sources insisted the couple did not consult any royal about issuing the explosive statement on their personal Sussex Royal website, adding that senior members of the family had been “hurt” by the news.