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The Crown: Jennie Bond discusses royal family accuracy
Bond is best known for having worked as the BBC’s royal correspondent for 26 years. She has detailed in length just how difficult a job it was — having to be near a phone around the clock in case something happened or was announced at the Palace. In her later years, Bond was able to take her foot off the gas after retiring from her full-time role.
She has since appeared on TV shows such as, ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me out of Here!’, and this evening hopes to win a cash sum for a charity of her choice as she takes on the wall in, ‘Tipping Point: Lucky Stars’.
With decades of royal experience under her belt, Bond has an unmatched understanding of the workings of the Firm.
The official introduction of Meghan Markle into the Royal Family in 2018 marked for many a new era, akin to 1981 when Princess Diana married Prince Charles.
Royal watchers were hopeful that the former actress would help modernise the family and bring it into the 21st century.
Jennie Bond: The veteran royal reporter previously warned Meghan Markle (Image: GETTY)
Global Citizen: The pair pictured in their first joint public appearance since Lilibet’s birth (Image: GETTY)
Bond, however, became acutely aware of how Meghan’s actions might translate to the public.
In 2019, speaking to Yahoo!Life, she warned the Duchess of Sussex over what she described as her “massively extravagant” spending.
She said: “What I think that Meghan has to be careful of is that she’s so, pretty much A-list celebrity as well as senior royal.
“I am getting the feeling that the public don’t like her terrifically spending huge quantities of money.
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Meghan Markle: The former actress brought an element of modernity into the Royal Family (Image: GETTY)
“Being extravagant, massively extravagant, she can afford it, she is a wealthy woman, but it doesn’t play very well, so I think she needs to just watch that.”
At the time, much had been said of Meghan’s designer wardrobe, which, according to The Mail, totalled to more than half a million pounds.
The publication reported that during a three-day tour of Morocco in February 2019, “Meghan’s clothing totalled more than an estimated £110,000 during her three-day tour of Morocco with Harry – thanks to a kaftan-style Dior gown believed to be worth as much as £90,000.”
Offering Meghan some advice, Bond added: “I think I’d ask Meghan, suggest to her that she tries not to play any games with the press.
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Royal tour: The pair pictured during a royal tour (Image: GETTY)
Harry latest: The Duke pictured giving a speech at a Global Citizen event earlier this year (Image: GETTY)
“Try not to be too celebrity, because that doesn’t go down well with the public, and to try to ignore the fact that she’s getting quite a lot of flack from various directions.”
But, within six months of the interview being aired, Meghan and Harry were bound for a life post-Royal Family.
In January 2020, they made the bold move to relinquish ties with the Firm and move across the pond to Canada, later heading south and crossing the border to live in Meghan’s native California were they currently reside.
They have since moved to push their own brand, Archewell, and with it help the world with many of its problems.
Megxit: The pair departed the UK for North America in January 2020 (Image: Express Newspapers)
Within Archewell is the couple’s business division in which they have a media branch to help produce content for Netflix and Spotify.
This week, David Furnish, Elton John’s husband who has been working with Meghan on her first Netflix project, lapped praise on the Duchess.
Helping to create ‘Pearl’, Furnish told an audience at the HELLO! Inspiration Awards, that she was “amazing” and a “fantastic collaborator”.
David Furnish: Elton John’s Canadian filmmaker husband said Meghan was ‘amazing’ to work with (Image: GETTY)
He said: “She’s [Meghan] a fantastic collaborator, amazing leader.
“And we’re just very, very excited to be working with, you know, someone as influential and as supportive as Netflix.”
‘Pearl’ marks the first time the Suits star has turned her hand to working as a creator and executive producer on a TV series.
‘Tipping Point: Lucky Stars’ airs on ITV One at 5:35pm.
