Is Prince Harry trying to ‘take advantage’ of the Queen? Palace Confidential looks at the potential fall out

Prince Harry’s comments

about the Queen are part of the family’s habit to try to ‘take advantage’ of
the Queen

in her later years, according to one royal expert. After Prince Andrew used his proximity to the Queen to try to rehabilitate his image, the Daily Mail’s Diary Editor Richard Eden says it looks like Harry’s ‘calculated’ comments in his interview with NBC show an attempt to do the same.

‘They’re all sort of taking advantage of the Queen in her later years I think, for their own reasons,’ he tells the programme. ‘We’ve talked on this programme about how significant her endorsement of Camilla as Queen was and that’s the sort of thing that Harry’s looking for.’

The Daily Mail’s Royal Editor Rebecca English believes that his comments will send shockwaves through royal households and are seen as a sign of Harry’s arrogance.

‘I’m sure there are going to be a few choice words as they read his words over the breakfast table today,’ she says. ‘I don’t know what they think exactly, but I certainly know from speaking to my sources [that] the feeling among the Palace staff is that this particular pronouncement showed quite breathtaking arrogance on Harry’s behalf.’

Lots of the focus is on what he said about the Queen, but it was what he didn’t say about the rest of the family that’s most fascinating, argues author and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop.

‘Much the most interesting bit was him ducking on the subject of William and Charles,’ she says. ‘He talked about his own family, ie his children, and he didn’t address his relationship with his father or brother and I think that’s where the sadness and the pressure point lies, especially with his memoir coming out.’

Our experts also discuss the Queen’s 96th birthday portraits and the very special event she hopes to attend this summer … and we’re not talking about the Jubilee.

AND Game of Homes! The Mail on Sunday’s Kate Mansey talks us through the latest news as the royals plan a shake-up of who lives where and who could be in line to get a new palace.