Former royal spokesman Dickie Arbiter has claimed that Queen Elizabeth II would be more upset by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s exit from their royal duties than Prince Andrew’s scandal last year.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced their decision to quit their current roles and gain financial independence yesterday, and it’s since been claimed they did not consult Her Majesty or Prince Charles before dropping their shock statement.
Dickie sat down with Ben Shephard and Susanna Reid on Good Morning Britain and didn’t hold back when he was asked how the Queen would be feeling this morning given the news.
‘The Queen will be feeling very let down and very angry,’ Dickie began. ‘Probably more angry than she felt after Andrew’s car crash interview last year.’
Unsurprisingly, Dickie’s remark was met with gasps from the studio, and cries of doubt.
‘I would have thought so,’ he continued in response. ‘Because look, the Epstein and Andrew thing has been going on for ages.
‘This is a bombshell that’s just dropped and to suggest that the photograph of the Queen and three heirs in waiting was the touch paper is absolute nonsense.’
Dickie was the press spokesman for the Queen from 1988 to 2000 and during that time he was also responsible for media managing ceremonial occasions, all major state events inside Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle, and the Queen’s major UK engagements.
He was also responsbile for all media requrements for funerals, including Princess Diana of Wales, who died in 1997.
Prince Andrew was grilled on BBC Newsnight by Emily Maitlis back in November over his controversial friendship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke Of York admitted he did not regret his relationship with the disgraced financier as it gave him the opportunity to meet people and help prepare for his role as a trade envoy.
Thousands reacted online to the explosive interview, with some branding it as ‘nuclear explosion level bad’.
Prince Andrew later defended the car crash chat, with sources telling the BBC that he spoke with ‘honesty and humility’.
The broadcaster reported sources close to the duke as saying he stands by his decision to be questioned by the BBC’s Newsnight programme and wanted to address the issues head-on.
Harry and Meghan are currently on the hunt for work following their plans to become ‘financially independent’.
It’s been reported that they’ll still keep Frogmore Cottage, however, despite stepping down as senior royals.
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.
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