Prince Harry spoke to Prince William over the weekend for the first time following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex‘s interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan Markle’s friend Gayle King revealed today.
The CBS presenter, who is also close friends with Oprah, revealed on the network’s This Morning programme today that Harry had spoken to the Duke of Cambridge and their father Prince Charles.
However Ms King said the conversations were ‘not productive’ and that the Sussexes were keen for the ‘royals to intervene and tell the Press to stop with the unfair, inaccurate, false stories that definitely have a racial slant’.
Back in Britain, Buckingham Palace has instructed an external law firm to assist with its investigation into bullying allegations made against Harry and Meghan, with lawyers for the couple denying any wrongdoing.
Ms King’s comments came on the same day that Harry’s grandfather the Duke of Edinburgh was reunited with the Queen at Windsor Castle after leaving King Edward VII’s Hospital in London following a 28 day-stay for treatment.
CBS has been at the centre of the Oprah interview, after This Morning showed a number of preview clips before the chat itself went out on the channel on March 7 and was then broadcast in Britain on ITV the following night.
Today, Ms King said: ‘Well I’m not trying to break news, but I did actually call them to see how they were feeling, and it’s true, Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too. The word I was given was that those conversations were not productive. But they are glad that they have at least started a conversation.
‘And I think what is still upsetting to them is the palace keep saying they want to work it out privately, but yet, they believe these false stories are coming out that are very disparaging against Meghan, still.
‘No one in the Royal family has talked to Meghan yet, at this particular time. And I think it’s frustrating for them to see that it’s a racial conversation about the Royal Family when all they wanted all along was for the royals to intervene and tell the Press to stop with the unfair, inaccurate, false stories that definitely have a racial slant.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in conversation with Oprah Winfrey in an interview first aired on CBS on March 7
‘And until you can acknowledge that, I think it’s going to be hard to move forward. But they both want to move forward with this and they both want healing in this family. At the end of the day, that is Harry’s family.’
She added: ‘The bullying thing was raised in 2018 and now there’s an ongoing investigation about bullying from Meghan Markle, when anyone who has worked with her will tell you exactly who she is.
‘You know, she’s really a very sweet, caring person. And as I say, Meghan has documents to back up everything that she said on Oprah’s interview. Everything.’
Reacting to the revelation, Daily Mail diary editor Richard Eden tweeted: ‘This is extraordinary. Are we going to have a running commentary for years to come from Harry and Meghan’s friends on their relations with the Royal Family? If so, the royals will be wary of speaking to them.’
In response, royal biographer Angela Levin added: ‘That’s why it’s not a good idea to pass on any information to them including details about alleged bullying because it will be passed on to a friend and reach social media in the blink of an eye. Their sense of entitlement is extraordinary. They can’t bear to be out of the spotlight.’
It comes after Buckingham Palace instructed an external law firm to assist with its investigation into bullying allegations made against the Duchess.
Prince William, Charles, Harry, Camilla, Kate and Meghan follow the Queen at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020
Royal aides announced earlier this month that past and present employees of Meghan and Harry would be invited to speak in confidence about their experiences, after it was alleged she drove out two personal assistants and staff were ‘humiliated’ on several occasions.
Now it is understood an outside legal company will help Buckingham Palace’s human resources team as it examines the circumstance of the allegations, first reported by the Times newspaper.
According to other reports, the Sussexes are not expected to be asked to contribute to the review, but the duchess has written to the palace asking for any documents, emails or texts relating to the allegations against her.
Lawyers for the duchess have denied the bullying allegations. Harry was also accused of bullying, with the Times reporting earlier this month that a member of staff told a colleague the couple were ‘outrageous bullies’.
Gayle King, who is close friends with Oprah and Meghan, revealed on CBS This Morning that Harry had spoken to William
When the bullying allegations were first made, Buckingham Palace said in a statement it was ‘very concerned’ about them, and stressed the Royal Household ‘does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace’.
It added: ‘Accordingly, our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned.’
The investigation was launched after the Times reported that Jason Knauf, the Sussexes’ then communications secretary, made a bullying complaint in October 2018 in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff.
A source told the newspaper that Harry begged his senior aide not to take the matter further, but it also reported that lawyers for the duke and duchess deny the meeting took place and that Harry would not have interfered with staff matters.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit School 21 in Stratford, East London, on March 11 after schools reopen in England
Mr Knauf reportedly sent an email outlining the duchess’s alleged actions to Simon Case, the Duke of Cambridge’s then private secretary and now the cabinet secretary, after conversations with Samantha Carruthers, the head of human resources.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: ‘Our commitment to look into the circumstances around allegations from former staff of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is being taken forward but we will not be providing a public commentary on it.’
A spokesman for the Sussexes declined to comment.
Soon after the bullying allegations were made, the monarchy was left reeling after Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah, in which they made a string of allegations, including accusing a member of the royal family of making a racist comment about their son Archie.