DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A ruthless stab at the heart of the Family

DAILY MAIL COMMENT: A ruthless stab at the heart of the Family

For someone whose stated ambition is ‘to build a better world, one act of compassion at a time’, this was a remarkably brutal and calculating display.

The screen performance was polished and well rehearsed. Her purring voice never once rose in anger.

Yet across 90 minutes on prime-time American TV, this was a ruthless condemnation. The Duchess of Sussex branded the Royal Family dishonest, overbearing, archaic, unfeeling and racist.

From the uncaring courtiers who ‘silenced’ her and allegedly refused to help even when she became suicidal, to the most senior members of ‘The Firm’, she felt everyone was against her.

For someone whose stated ambition is ‘to build a better world, one act of compassion at a time’, this was a remarkably brutal and calculating display

She said that like the Little Mermaid in the Disney cartoon, the price of marrying her prince was having to give up her voice. Well, she’s certainly got it back now.

Prince Harry played a supporting role towards the end of the much-trailed interview with Oprah Winfrey. But there was no doubting who the heroine of this unhappy fairy tale was.

No one was spared. Kate had made Meghan cry, her pleas for support when she was pregnant and at her most vulnerable were roundly ignored and Prince Charles refused to take Harry’s calls.

There was even a sideswipe at the Queen, for cancelling an invitation to Sandringham shortly before they announced their abandonment of royal life. Harry put it down to her being ‘badly advised’, a somewhat patronising comment about a woman who has guided her country with consummate skill for close to 70 years.

The screen performance was polished and well rehearsed. Her purring voice never once rose in anger

But perhaps the cruellest aspect of this charade of righteousness was its generality. It was long on accusation but desperately short on detail.

Its most incendiary claim was that ‘the family’ expressed concern that Harry and Meghan’s baby would be ‘too brown’. Yet no one was identified.

Labour politicians called for a full investigation, but how? To start with, Harry and Meghan would need to get their stories straight.

Meghan says the concerns were expressed in ‘several conversations’ with ‘family’ while she was pregnant. Harry says it was a single exchange with one member before they were married.

And as neither will say who the culprit or culprits were, the shadow of suspicion falls on everyone.

A statement via Harry that it was not the Queen or Prince Philip merely fuelled the unedifying guessing game – and narrowed down the possible suspects.

Yet across 90 minutes on prime-time American TV, this was a ruthless condemnation. The Duchess of Sussex branded the Royal Family dishonest, overbearing, archaic, unfeeling and racist 

Without a trace of irony, Meghan said she wouldn’t name names because ‘that would be very damaging’. Does she not understand that tarring the Family with generic claims can be far worse?

At no stage did the duke and duchess admit that they might not always have behaved perfectly (Meghan now stands accused of bullying staff), nor did they have any regrets.

They were playing to their American gallery, many of whom will doubtless have lapped it up. But did they even consider the hurt caused to Harry’s family?

So how should the royals react? They are no doubt seething after this narcissistic fusillade, but do they want to get involved in an open-ended slanging match?

Having seen more than her share of family crises down the decades, the Queen – unlike her peevish grandson – has always preferred the olive branch to the big stick.

She will probably play the long game, hoping that one day tempers will cool, grievances be laid to rest and bridges rebuilt. Harry, whose wider family life is in tatters, should learn from her wisdom.

The monarchy has lasted 1,000 years. The Queen knows it won’t be brought down by this here-today, gone-tomorrow melodrama. As ever, she will ride out the storm.

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