Royal aides want Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to give up their titles after ‘disgraceful’ attack on Charles and Philip
ROYAL aides want Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to give up their titles after a “disgraceful” swipe at Charles’ and Philip’s parenting skills, according to a report.
It came after the Duke of Sussex suggested he had been failed by his dad after he claimed he moved Archie and Meghan to the USA to “break the cycle” of “genetic pain” from his own childhood.
The Duke made the comments during a podcast with American media personality Dax Shepard, in which he said his dad Charles “suffered” due to his upbringing by the Queen and Philip, then “treated me the way he was treated”.
Senior courtiers told the Mail on Sunday that the Duke’s attack had prompted a sense of “bewilderment and betrayal” in the palace.
An aide told the newspaper: “People are appalled that he could do this to the Queen when the Duke of Edinburgh is barely in his grave.
“To drag his grandfather into this is so shocking and disrespectful.
“The Duke of Sussex has now spent a significant amount of time emphasising that he’s no different to anyone else and attacking the institution which he says has caused him so much pain.
“There is a growing feeling that if you dislike the institution that much, you shouldn’t have the titles.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle formally ended their royal duties earlier this year after their dramatic Megxit in January 2020, but still retain the titles of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
But another royal source told the Mail that they should give up the titles following Harry’s interview.
They said: “hey should put the titles into abeyance, so they still exist, but are not used, like they agreed to do with their HRHs.”
The source added the pair should “just become Harry and Meghan”, and would need to “explain” their decision not to do so.
A Hollywood producer told the Mail that their titles were “their biggest selling point” in the US, where the pair have signed blockbuster deals with streaming giants Spotify and Netflix.
It came after another royal source told the Daily Telegraph that Harry had “thrown others under the bus” during the interview.
Harry, 36, said in the podcast that he had moved to California with his wife and child to “break the cycle” of “genetic pain”.
Asked about his upbringing and its impact on his mental health, the Duke told the podcast: “There’s no blame, I don’t think we should be pointing the finger or blaming anybody.
“But certainly when it comes to parenting, if I have experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering perhaps my father or my parents suffered, I’m gonna make sure that I break that cycle so that I don’t pass it on, basically.
“There is a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway.
“As parents we should be doing the most that we can to say, ‘You know what, that happened to me, I’m gonna make sure that’s not going to happen to you’.”
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According to the Mail, Harry’s interview is likely to create tension ahead of his next visit to the UK for the unveiling of a statue of his late mother Diana in July.
The Duke was pictured speaking to William and Charles after the funeral procession of his grandfather Philip – sparking hopes that the rift in the family could be healed.
But royal sources told the Mail on Sunday that despite a “genuine desire” to rebuild their relationship, it was “impossible to rebuild something while someone keeps chopping it down.”