Ms Junor, an authority on all things royal who has written several books, including a biography of Harry’s mother Diana, Princess of Wales, as well as the Prince himself, pulled no punches as she lamented the couple’s “recklessness” – and asked: “What on earth has happened to the Prince the nation once held to its heart?” Writing in the Daily Mail, she said she shared much of the “anger and frustration” of the British public in the wake of the sensational announcement, suggesting it indicated Harry was “turning his back on the Royal family”. She added: “As a close observer of him as man and boy, I am worried about the new approach he is taking to life.”

He is essentially rejecting his birthright, his closest family and a public role that he seemed to have embraced and flourished in

Penny Junor

Suggesting the approach adopted by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had the potential to damage the monarchy, she said their behaviour had left the Royal Family in “turmoil”.

The “intense emotions” of parenthood after the birth of Harry’s son Archie were a factor, Ms Junor said.

However, she added: “Alarmingly, though, he has appeared determined since then on what might appear to be a trajectory of self-destruction – and I do not use that phrase lightly.

“He is essentially rejecting his birthright, his closest family and a public role that he seemed to have embraced and flourished in.”

Harry had also distanced himself from long-standing friends – and, most alarmingly, his brother, she claimed.

She said: “Theirs was a bond as close as any two brothers could have. Their situation was unique: what they had been through, including the sudden death of their mother, Princess Diana, could not be shared with anyone else. They trusted each other with everything.

“Yet now they appear to be barely speaking.”

Pointing out the well-publicised feuds in Meghan’s family, and her estrangement from her father Markle, Ms Junor added: “Now Harry is visibly estranged from his own family in a not dissimilar way.

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“How much of all this is due to Meghan’s influence, I wouldn’t pretend to know.”

Ms Junor said she was also “baffled” by the “sheer disrespect” Harry had shown to his grandmother.

She added: “He was always so close to the Queen. He’d even call her on her mobile!

“Her Majesty will put up with a lot, but one thing she hates is surprises: she likes to know what will confront her in the morning papers. But Harry and Meghan ignored this.

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“The Queen has always loved and supported Harry, tolerating his misdemeanors.

“Yet now she is said to be ‘hurt and furious’ at his behaviour.”

Ms Junor also flatly rejected the Royal couple’s complaints about the way they had been treated by the British press, especially attempts to draw parallels with Princess Diana.

She said: “Any idea that there was a sustained campaign against Meghan – least of all one founded on racism, as even the New York Times suggested yesterday – is nonsense.

“The Press and public were thrilled when he fell in love with her, and instantly fell in love with her, too.”

Harry’s interview with ITV while in South Africa, in which he admitted to having struggled with his mental health, had inevitably set alarm bells ringing, Ms Junor said.

She explained: “I suspect I am not alone in feeling great concern about the Prince’s emotional state at this moment of crisis for his family.

“Some people have expressed fears for the longevity of the marriage. In public, the pair still appear devoted to each other; yet I worry that they will find it difficult to adjust to their altered, ex-royal status.

“I hope the situation can be rescued, but right now reconciliation for this unhappy couple is a long way off.

“Above all, Harry must not burn any more bridges. One day he might need a family to welcome him home – and a nation to take him back.”

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