This Morning chef Clodagh McKenna’s husband – who is a close friend of the Royal Family – has leapt to the defence of hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
Harry Herbert, the son of the 7th Earl of Carnavon whose family calls Highclere Castle Estate where Downton Abbey is filmed home, said the backlash the presenters are facing over ‘queue-gate’ is “awful”.
It comes after they were falsely accused of jumping the queue to see the Queen lying in state.
Holly and Phil have since issued a statement saying the claim is untrue and they were granted press access to film a segment which didn’t include skipping the line.
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There has even been a petition set up calling for the presenters to be axed from This Morning in wake of the backlash, which has racked up 70,000 signatures.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Harry said: “They never jumped any queue” before adding: “Awful what they are going through."
His father Henry Herbert was a personal friend of Queen Elizabeth for more than 20 years, and the monarch used to regularly visit their family home.
Given the title Lord Porchester, he was known affectionately to the Queen as ‘Porchey’, and was her racing horse manager for many years until his death in 2001 at the age of 77.
Speaking about his time growing up around the Queen, Henry’s son Harry revealed: “My dad was her best friend for many years and confidante.”
He added: “Myself, my sister Carol and my brother Geordie grew up knowing the Queen from a young age. We were surrounded by her, every part of her, her character, and she came to stay often at my family home.”
Despite ITV clarifying Holly and Phil did not jump the line and were at Westminster Hall in a professional capacity, the pair have been viciously trolled on social media.
A statement on the This Morning Instagram account said: "Hello everyone, we would like to clarify something. We asked Phillip and Holly to be part of a film for this Tuesday’s programme.
"They did not jump the queue, have VIP access or file past the Queen lying in state – but instead were there in a professional capacity as part of the world’s media to report on the event."
Holly and Phil also issued a lengthy statement about the pictures of them at Westminster Hall.
In a pre-recorded voice over, Holly explained: "We were given official permission to access the hall, it was strictly for reporting on the event for millions of people in the UK who haven't been able to visit Westminster in person.”
She added: "The rules were, that we would be quickly escorted around the edges to a platform at the back.
"In contrast, those paying respect stood on a carpeted area beside the coffin and were given time to pause. None of the broadcasters or journalists there took anyone's place in the queue and no one filed past the Queen."
Holly admitted they understood the backlash surrounding them being at the lying in state.
"We, of course, respected those rules. However, we realised it may have looked like something else and therefore totally understand the reaction."
"Please know we would never jump the queue," Holly concluded.
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