Despite the huge backlash following their Netflix series, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are keen to keep up one royal tradition this Christmas.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have found themselves at the centre of a media storm following the release of their Netflix series, Harry and Meghan. The first instalments of the docuseries dropped on Thursday, December 8, and told the story of how the pair met and fell in love, as well as the intense media interest in their relationship.
Harry and Meghan part two will come to the streaming giant Thursday, December 15, as the latest trailer was released on Monday. The explosive trailer contains a clip of Harry saying: “They were happy to lie to protect my brother. They were never willing to tell the truth to protect us.”
In the controversial new clip, Meghan says: “I wasn’t being thrown to the wolves, I was being fed to the wolves,” while Harry refers to what he calls “institutional gaslighting”.
There have been numerous reports that the Sussexes series has created an 'irreparable rift' between the once close brothers Harry and Prince William. However, the two families are still set to take part in one royal tradition this year despite the backlash.
Royal editor and expert Roya Nikkhah says that the two families will still be exchanging Christmas gifts, as Harry and Meghan will buy presents for their nephews and nieces, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis while William and wife Kate will send parcels for Archie and Lilibet.
Writing in the Sunday Times, she says: "Believe it or not, the Waleses and the Sussexes are exchanging Christmas gifts this year. In the absence of goodwill between the couples, William and Kate will not deprive three-year-old Archie and Lilibet, one, of a present under the tree.
"And in one royal tradition that Team Sussex is still on board with, Harry and Meghan have also dispatched gifts for George, Charlotte and Louis, who are nine, seven and four. There will be no presents exchanged between the adults."
As Harry and Meghan's docuseries garners incredible attention from the media and public, royal insiders have said that King Charles and the Prince of Wales will keep “a dignified silence”.
A source told the Mirror: “As far as everyone is concerned it’s business as usual and there is no desire to engage in a tit-for-tat war of words.
“There’s certainly nothing in the first half worth engaging with and there’s nothing new about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex talking in public about their time in the royal family. A dignified silence is the order of the day as the focus is entirely on getting on with the job.”
However In an opinion piece today, the Daily Mirror’s Royal Editor Russell Myers claims the fallout could finally force the hand of the rest of the royal family to go against protocol and hit back against the couple - creating further chaos for the monarchy and the “maximum devastation” the Duke and Duchess intended.
Myers reckons that, despite hopes that the warring sides may have mellowed in the wake of the Queen’s death, the show has provided the Duke and Duchess with a platform to “stick the boot in” once and for all and he believes senior members of the royal family will have no choice but to speak out against the latest revelations. He also claims the relationship between Prince Harry and the Prince of Wales has been damaged beyond repair.
Myers writes: “It’s another chance for Harry and Meghan to stick the boot in on a family they know can never hit back with the same vigour.
“After accepting sack loads of cash to spill the beans on royal life, those on the other side are merely seen as collateral damage.
“The fact this six-hour series was due to be released while the late Queen was still with us, and possibly suffering from illness, tells you everything about Harry and Meghan’s methods – maximum exposure resulting in maximum devastation."
He added: “The royals may have been content to keep calm and carry on regardless of what has been said so far.
"But if this final instalment goes as far as it appears, they may have no choice but to hit back and risk creating further havoc in an already desperately sad situation.”
Harry and Meghan volume two will air on Netflix Thursday, December 15 at 8am.
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