Queen's ‘focus’ on Philip over Harry’s Oprah interview says expert

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The Duke of Edinburgh, 99, was transferred to St Bartholomew’s Hospital yesterday for further tests and treatments after nearly a fortnight in London’s King Edward VII Hospital. Although there are concerns for Philip’s health, the Duke himself has previously put his family first, despite suffering numerous ailments in the last decade. Just six weeks before Meghan and Harry’s wedding, Philip had a hip replacement, but still showed up to the wonderful day.

Determined not to show weakness, he walked into the chapel unaided.

Pod Save the Queen is hosted by Ann Gripper and features Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers.

Ms Gripper interviewed royal biographer Ingrid Seward, who wrote the book Prince Philip revealed: A Man of His Century last year.

She described how Philip was fond of Meghan, as they were both outsiders in the Royal Family, and how much effort he put in to make her special day.

Ms Seward said: “Philip welcomed Meghan at the beginning, as an outsider ‒ he was an outsider, he knows what it feels like and he feels like he has a part to play, he can do something useful, he could help her.

“But whether or not he ever managed to do anything, I do not know.

“He also wasn’t very well at the time, but he was totally determined that he was going to be there at their wedding and it was only six weeks after his hip operation so he really, really had to use all his incredible willpower.

“He walked into the chapel unaided and he would never have been seen with a stick or a wheelchair.

“He was there for the wedding photographs and then he disappeared, he didn’t stay for the reception.”

The wedding, which was in May 2018, was a high point for the couple within the Royal Family, but it was not long before things started to go wrong.

A rift had started to grow between Harry and his brother William, and the Sussexes struggled to cope with intense public and press scrutiny.

Eventually, they decided to step down as senior royals last year, a move which Ms Seward said “baffled” Harry’s grandfather.

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She said: “I think he is baffled, completely baffled by Harry and Meghan’s desperation to leave the Royal Family.

“I think he feels they had so much going for them.

“Harry had all his military appointments that he was helping with, they had a beautiful house which was just finished, they had a beautiful baby, they were beginning to really make a mark in the world and they had the support of the Queen in promoting the Commonwealth.

“And Philip just thought that their dereliction of duty was appalling, he couldn’t understand it.

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“What is so wrong with the Royal Family and, if it is so awful, why did Meghan ever marry Harry, if it’s so ghastly?

“Well, obviously we know that she didn’t know, but I think he was at his wit’s end to understand.”

Prince Charles visited Philip in hospital last week, reportedly to discuss the future of the Royal Family.

The Palace are said to be “worried” about the Queen’s husband, who was being treated for an infection.

There have been calls for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to delay the broadcast of their interview with Oprah Winfrey ‒ which is due to air on Sunday ‒ given the situation, but royal expert Chris Ship said it will be “out of their hands”.

Nevertheless, the timing has been branded “insensitive” and “inappropriate” by Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan.

Meanwhile, Palace sources dismissed the interview, saying they were focusing on “more important” issues like Philips’s health.

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