Monarchy tipped to withstand rumpus

THE Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s revelations in their interview with Oprah Winfrey are “damning” and “damaging” to the monarchy, but the institution will ultimately be strong enough to withstand the controversy, royal experts have predicted, writes Aine Fox.

Harry and Meghan’s comments during the two-hour CBS TV show have “lobbed a hand grenade into the family home” and represent a “very serious attack” on the institution, royal author Penny Junor said.

She said it was “absolutely fine” that Harry and Meghan had wanted to “walk away” from royal life, but questioned: “Why destroy the reputation of the family in the course of that?”

Ms Junor told the Press Association: “I do not know why they’ve done this. This is Harry’s family, his flesh and blood, and this seems to have lobbed a hand grenade into the family home. I worry that there will be no coming back from that.”

Ms Junor said she feels the Duke of Cambridge, Harry’s brother, will “probably take a very dim view” of the comment by Meghan that his wife, the

Duchess of Cambridge, had reduced her to tears.

Ms Junor said while she, with 40 years of experience in writing about the royal family, treats the interview’s contents with a “little bit of scepticism”, that is “immaterial because the interview is out there now, it’s around the world and there will be a lot of people who will believe every last word”.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, said the interview “seems very personal against members of the royal family”.

She added: “It’s a real downer on everyone in the royal family apart from the Queen. It’s probably the most damning condemnation of the royal family and how they operate that I’ve ever heard.”

Despite the controversy, both commentators think the monarchy can survive the latest scandal. Ms Seward said: “I think the monarchy is definitely strong enough to withstand it. They have withstood so many scandals and so many difficulties over the years.

“I know it doesn’t seem like it now, but this will pass over. The majority of British people do not like to see the institution of the monarchy attacked in this way.”

Ms Junor declared: “I think we have just to wait and see what the ultimate fall-out of this interview is.

“It may that it’s today’s sensational news but that, by next week, next month, it has faded. I think, overall, the monarchy is strong enough to withstand it.”