Prince Harry tells Good Morning America the Queen is “sad” about the Megxit

Prince Harry revealed today that the Queen is “sad” about the Megxit – but not angry or upset with him – as he seemed to imply she couldn’t stop it due to his brother and father’s influence.

The Duke of Sussex spoke to Good Morning America on the final leg of his transatlantic television blitz to promote his new memoir, Spare, which is due for release tomorrow.

GMA presenter Michael Strahan asked if Her Majesty, who died in September aged 96, was “mad at you” for stepping back from royal duties with his American wife Meghan Markle in early 2020.

“For what?” Harry replied, adding that his grandmother was “sad” about what happened.

“I’ve had many, many conversations with her over the years, both in the UK and leading up to this change, so it came as no surprise to anyone, least of all her,” he said.

But he hinted she was being sidelined, saying: “She knew what was going on. She knew how difficult it was. I don’t know if she was able to change it.”

The Duke of Sussex spoke to Good Morning America on the final leg of his transatlantic television blitz to promote his new memoir, Spare, which is due for release tomorrow. He spoke to Michael Strahan

His memoir and its cover in Times Square, New York this morning

The Duke of Sussex claimed in his Netflix docuseries that the late monarch watched in silence as he was left terrified by Prince William, who yelled about the exit talks she called after Harry and Meghan Markle decided to step down from their royal duties to resign.

He said: “It was terrifying that my brother was yelling and yelling at me and my father was saying things that just weren’t true and my grandmother was, you know, sitting still and taking it all in.”

But royal experts then said any suggestion that the “Queen was sidelined at the now infamous ‘Sandringham Summit’ was ‘complete nonsense’.

Mr Strahan, a former NFL star making $17million a year hosting the US breakfast show on ABC, is the latest broadcaster to sit down with the prince-in-exile, who was in the UK last night on ITV and in the US hours on 60 Minutes later occurred in a series of taped interviews.

The Duke of Sussex said there was a place for monarchy in the modern world if it dealt with unconscious prejudice.

Asked on Good Morning America if he believes there is a place for the British monarchy in the 21st century, he said: “I really believe there is. Not the way it is now.’

When asked if they needed to modernize and if so, in what way, Harry said: “I think the same process I went through in terms of my own unconscious bias would be of great use to them.

“Not racism, but unconscious bias which, if not confronted, if not learned and grown from, can turn into racism.

“But there was a tremendous missed opportunity with my wife.”

During the interview, Harry also said: “I think my mother would have recognized the missed opportunity if Meghan was part of the institution, part of the monarchy.”

Mr Strahan then said: “There will be people saying be in or out because when you come out there is no hypocrisy?”

Harry then said that he “can never get out of the royal family”.

He said there has been no compromise on his half-in, half-out hybrid plan of moving to Canada but continuing to serve the Queen even during the Megxit crisis in 2020.

Queen Elizabeth speaks with Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex as they depart following the wedding of Lady Gabriella Windsor to Thomas Kingston on May 18, 2019 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle

Interviewer Michael Strahan asked, “There was no compromise with the family?”

Harry replied, “No – which was really sad because to this day I believe it was entirely possible.”

Strahan asked, “There will be people who will say, ‘Why don’t they go in or out, because when you come out there’s no hypocrisy’.”

Harry said: “I can never get out and I’m incredibly aware of my position.

“I am incredibly grateful for the life I have had and continue to live.

“But there’s no version of me that would ever be able to get out of it. I was stunned that my family would allow security to be taken away, especially in our most vulnerable spot.’

When asked about critics who say he sold his family, Harry says the only way he can protect his family is to correct untruths by writing the truth in one place.

“I totally accept that writing a book means feeding the beast anyway,” he adds.

Harry said the gulf between him and his family “couldn’t be bigger”.

Asked if he thinks his book will bring his father and brother back to him, or if it will widen the divide, Harry told Good Morning America, “I’ve thought long and hard about this, and from what I can see it could the gulf will do.’ I will not be taller before this book.’

Harry said if there is no reconciliation he will focus on his life and family.

‘I’m not mad anymore. There are things that will still annoy me, but I’m not angry anymore because I’m exactly where I should be,” he said.

He added, “What people don’t know is the efforts I’ve made to resolve this privately, with both my brother and my dad.”

During the interview, Harry said he was “born into service,” adding, “It’s in my blood.”

Harry told CBS last night that his stepmother Camilla was “the bad guy” and “dangerous” – after ignoring a plea from his father not to attack his wife.

But in contradiction, the Duke of Sussex told GMA that he doesn’t see the Queen Consort as an “evil stepmother”.

He said: “I have a lot of sympathy for her, you know, she’s the third person in my parents’ marriage.

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‘She had a reputation or an image to rehabilitate.

“Whatever conversations were held, whatever deals or deals were made right at the beginning, she was made to believe that this would be the best way to do it.”

When asked how his relationship with Camilla is now, Harry said: “We haven’t spoken in a long time. I love every member of my family, despite the differences, so we’re perfectly friendly with each other when I see them.

“She’s my stepmother. I don’t see her as an evil stepmother. I see someone who has married into this institution and has done whatever it takes to improve their own reputation and image for their own sake.’

Discussing his fractured relationship with William, he said there has always been competition between him and his brother, the Prince of Wales, and he cited the British press’ part in it.

Speaking on Good Morning America, Harry said: “You pit the Waleses who Kate and William are now against the Sussexes, me and my wife.

“They always played us against each other. They pit Kate and Meghan against each other.”

When asked if he thought this made the two women “pitch themselves against each other,” he said “without a question” yes.

But he also admitted that He must take responsibility for his role in the breakdown of his relationship with his brother, the Prince of Wales.

When asked on Good Morning America if he believes he bears any responsibility for the breakdown in their relationship, Harry replied: “No question. Secure.

“But what people don’t know is the efforts I’ve made to resolve this privately, with both my brother and my dad.”