Meghan and Harry ‘threw a huge bomb’ with the Megxit crisis ‘worse than abdication’

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have betrayed the royal family and caused lasting damage to the monarchy in the year since their resignation as royals, a royal author has said.

Penny Junor said Harry and Meghan’s racism accusations and other allegations made in their explosive interview with Oprah “sent a huge bomb to the heart of the institution.”

Megxit’s first birthday – when Queen Harry’s grandson and former Suits star Meghan stepped down from royal duties and stopped using their HRH styles on March 31 of last year – falls on Wednesday.

Ms Junor said: “When Harry and Meghan left a year ago people were surprised and disappointed because they were a great couple.

“Harry was an extremely popular royal and Meghan was a great asset to the family.

“A year later I think a lot of people are really angry and think they betrayed their families and threw a huge bomb on the heart of the institution and kind of hit the UK.”

The Sussexes’ two-hour televised encounter with Oprah Winfrey earlier this month left the Royal Family facing one of their worst crises in generations.

Meghan said an unnamed royal – neither the Queen nor the Duke of Edinburgh – had raised concerns with Harry about the dark color of their son Archie’s skin before he was born.

The Duchess also told of how she envisioned suicide but was not supported by the institution even when she asked for help.

Harry said he felt ‘let down’ by his father the Prince of Wales, said he had been cut financially by his family in the months leading up to Megxit and expressed shock at the loss of his funded security by taxpayers.

The interview aired while Harry’s grandfather, Philip, 99, was in hospital recovering from heart surgery.

Mrs. Junor described the crisis as worse than the abdication of Edward VIII.

“The circumstances are very different. Edward VIII was kicked out, while Harry and Meghan chose to leave, but I think it’s more damaging,” she said.

“It looked like Edward’s abdication was going to harm the monarchy, but in fact it wasn’t because his brother was willing to step into his shoes, and George VI did a very good job. and restored the reputation of the monarchy.

She added of the Oprah interview: “These are really terrible accusations that are going to stick.”

Others spoke in favor of the Sussexes following the interview.

Bernice King, the youngest child of late civil rights activist Martin Luther King, tweeted at the time: “Royalty is not a shield against the devastation and despair of racism.”

The tennis star and Meghan’s friend Serena Williams also supported the Duchess, tweeting: “Her words illustrate the pain and cruelty she suffered.

“I know firsthand what sexist and racist institutions and media use to defame women and people of color to downplay, break us down and demonize us.”

In the days following the interview, American television channel Gayle King – a friend of Meghan’s – revealed that the initial talks between Harry and Charles and the Duke of Cambridge were “not productive”.

Ms Junor suggested that King’s disclosure would have an indelible impact on Harry’s relationship with his family.

“The fact that most of this conversation has been broadcast is a terrible betrayal of trust,” Ms. Junor said.

“I don’t know how the whole problem will be solved because Harry has shown that he is not trustworthy, and that if the royals approach him, if he doesn’t like what they say, there’s a good chance it will. be on world television. “

The Sussexes, who are expecting their second child – a daughter – this summer after a miscarriage last year, have embraced their new life in California, far from the monarchy.

They secured lucrative multi-million pound deals with Netflix and Spotify, established their Archewell philanthropic foundation, moved into a £ 11million mansion in Montecito and Harry was hired as impact director for BetterUp Inc, which sells coaching and helps with mental health.

But the fallout from Megxit and the Oprah interview is far from over.

The Queen released a statement saying the issues raised would be dealt with in private as a family, but “some memories may vary”.

Buckingham Palace is considering appointing a diversity czar to help assess and improve representation in the royal household.

As the rift between Harry and his family continues, the palace has meanwhile tasked an outside legal team to help its investigation into the bullying allegations made against Meghan.

The Times reported that the Duchess has chased two personal assistants and “humiliated” staff on multiple occasions, which she denies.