A royal commentator has suggested that Prince Harry’s upcoming interview could be the reason broadcaster ITV were axed from producing the King’s Christmas speech.
Speaking to GB News, Rafe Heydel-Mankoo questioned whether the interview, which will air days before Harry’s memoir is released, is linked to Buckingham Palace changing from ITV to BBC to produce King Charles’ historic first message.
Victoria Jones
“ITV was supposed to have produced the King's Christmas message last month and for mysterious reasons the Palace axed ITV and gave the job over to the BBC. Even though it was ITV's turn on this rota, it goes between Sky, BBC and ITV. No explanation was given as to why ITV lost the commission to produce the King's Christmas speech.
“Could it be because of this interview? We can only speculate.”
In a clip shared online of the interview, the Duke of Sussex said his troubled relationship with the Royal Family "never needed to be this way" and he wants to get his father King Charles and his brother "back.”
"They've shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile," he said. "I would like to get my father back; I would like to have my brother back."
But the Duke’s comments on reconciliation have been attacked by Mr Heydel-Mankoo, who suggested more than one olive branch has already been offered by King Charles.
Rafe Heydel-Mankoo
GB News
“Despite everything that they have done, despite Netflix, despite all the attacks, the King so generously reportedly invited them to the coronation.
“We would have thought, you know, the death of a much-loved member of the family would provide the great occasion for this reconciliation and the accession of the king, a time to actually think about what your priorities are. But instead, we had this nuclear strike by the Sussexes on the Royal Family with the Netflix documentary and now this more targeted nuclear strike again on the Prince and Princess of Wales, and perhaps also on Queen Camilla which is a red line for the King.”
Harry and his wife Meghan, officially known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, stepped down from royal duties in March 2020, saying they wanted to forge new lives in the United States away from media harassment.
They have since criticised how they were treated as members of the royal family, including an accusation by Harry that his brother William, Prince of Wales, screamed at him during a meeting to discuss his future.