A spokesperson for Prince Harry has denied a report in a British tabloid that the Duke of Sussex slammed the British public ahead of his and Meghan Markle’s interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The Sun reported on Saturday that Prince Harry stated that “those Brits need to learn a lesson” before his and his wife’s explosive interview aired in March 2021.
Carly Ledbetter, a senior reporter at HuffPost, shared a statement from Prince Harry and Markle’s representatives on Sunday, claiming that the quote was “erroneously attributed” to the duke and calling the Sun report “a baseless hit piece masquerading as journalism.”
The Sussex spokesperson said in the statement:
“This story is riddled with inaccuracies, not least of which is a quote erroneously attributed to Prince Harry.”
The spokesperson added:
“To accuse a man who spent 10 years serving his country of wanting to teach that same country a lesson is not only an attempted distraction but an unfortunate and predictable tabloid strategy. To pit him against his country is shameful and manipulative, especially when Prince Harry has never spoken ill of the British public.”
According to HuffPost, the Sun did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to the tabloid’s report, Prince Harry “boasted” to a friend that the royal family would be shocked by their interview with Winfrey, citing unnamed “senior sources.”
Prince Harry allegedly told a friend, the outlet claimed:
“This is going to be quite shocking. Those Brits need to learn a lesson.”
During their 2021 interview, Markle claimed that the royal family “silenced” her and made her cry ahead of her wedding to Prince Harry. She also claimed that before their son was born, they had “concerns” about his skin color.
Prince Harry also told Winfrey that racism was a “significant factor” in his and his wife’s decision to leave their native country.
With the upcoming release of Prince Harry and Markle’s Netflix docuseries and his memoir “Spare,” some royal pundits and fans believe the rumored tension between the Sussexes and the royal family will worsen.
Last week, Netflix released the first trailer for “Harry & Meghan,” a six-episode docuseries that promises an “unprecedented and in-depth” look into the couple’s love story.
Prince Harry said, in the trailer:
“No one sees what’s happening behind closed doors. I had to do everything I could to protect my family.”
The trailer was released just one day before Prince William and Kate Middleton’s appearance at the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony in Boston, Massachusetts, prompting some royal experts to speculate that they were attempting to steal the spotlight away from the Prince and Princess of Wales.
Following the release of the docuseries trailer, Daily Mail editor Richard Eden tweeted:
“Here it is, the day before Prince William and Catherine’s big royal event in the USA. Bitter Prince Harry and Meghan.”
ITV News royal editor Chris Ship commented:
“With Harry’s brother and sister-in-law in the USA today and tomorrow… and Prince William’s @EarthshotPrize in Boston on Friday night, some might reasonably ask: ‘couldn’t they have waited a couple of days?'”
“Harry & Meghan” is expected to premiere on Netflix on Thursday, while Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” will be available on January 10.