Prince Harry said he is ‘making sure the Queen is protected and has the right people around her’ in an interview with a major US TV network as Buckingham Palace officials prepare for further sensational claims later today.
The Duke of Sussex praised the monarch’s ‘great sense of humour’ and said it was ‘really nice to catch up with her’ during their supposedly secret meeting last Thursday before he arrived in The Hague.
‘Being with her, it was great. It was just so nice to see her, she’s on great form,’ he said in an interview with NBC Today presenter Hoda Kotb while in the Netherlands, where he is currently hosting the Invictus Games.
‘She’s always got a great sense of humour with me and I’m just making sure she’s protected and got the right people around her.
‘Both Meghan and I had tea with her, so it was really nice to catch up with her.’
It was the first time the couple had been seen together publicly on this side of the Atlantic for two years.
Harry said: ‘Home for me now, for the time being, is in the States and it feels that way as well. We’ve been welcomed with open arms and we have such a great community up in Santa Barbara.’
The couple moved to Montecito, California, following their decision to step down as senior royals in 2020, saying they wanted a new life of personal and financial freedom.
Prince Harry (pictured in a preview of the US TV interview) praised the Queen’s ‘great sense of humour’ and said it was ‘really nice to catch up with her’ during their supposedly secret meeting last Thursday before he arrived in The Hague
Harry’s interview was previewed on NBC last night, and will be shown in full on the programme later today from 12pm UK time (7am Eastern Time).
It comes days ahead of the Queen’s 96th birthday on Thursday and just over a year after the funeral of her husband the Duke of Edinburgh.
The Palace will be concerned that Harry could make further claims about the Royal Family only a year after his infamous interview to Oprah Winfrey on CBS in which he and Meghan accused unnamed royals of racism.
The Duke has a deeply strained relationship with his family – especially his father Prince Charles and brother Prince William – and missed last month’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey for his grandfather Prince Philip.
Royal aides will be concerned about details from a private meeting being divulged, which come on top of fears over what could be contained in his forthcoming memoirs and Netflix documenting his every move at the Games.
The Duke has already been accused in recent days of using his platform at the Games to promote BetterUp, the California mental health start-up for whom he is ‘chief impact officer’ – after the two announced a partnership.
Harry was not accompanied in the interview by Meghan, who was in the Netherlands with him over the weekend but has since returned to California to be with their two young children
Royal aides will be concerned about details from a private meeting being divulged, which come on top of fears over what could be contained in his forthcoming memoirs and Netflix documenting his every move at the Games. Pictured: Harry and Meghan with the Queen in July 2018
The chat was previewed on NBC Nightly News last night, and will be shown in full on the Today programme later on Wednesday from 12pm UK time (7am Eastern Time)
The interview between Kotb and Harry took place in the Netherlands, where the Duke, 37, is currently hosting the Invictus Games
The Duke of Sussex plays table tennis during day four of the Invictus Games at Zuiderpark in The Hague yesterday
‘Hoda Kotb sat down with Prince Harry to talk about the Invictus Game, his surprise visit with the Queen, and lie with his wife Meghan Markle,’ the Today show wrote on Twitter, while also sharing an image of Kotb, Harry, and one of the veterans taking part in the sporting event.
Teasing the interview, Kotb’s co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin added that the Duke of Sussex will also discuss fatherhood and life with his and Meghan’s two children, Archie, two, and 10-month-old Lilibet.
Meghan will likely not appear in the Today show interview; she has already left the Netherlands and returned home to California in order to reunite with Archie and Lilibet, having confessed to a military veteran at the Invictus Games that she was missing her two children after being separated from them for the longest time since they were born.
Meanwhile, Harry played table tennis and virtual golf as his visit to the Games continued on Tuesday.
The Duke was seen walking through a backstage area at the Invictus Games, following what was the first time the couple had been seen together publicly on this side of the Atlantic for two years.
Harry was also spotted playing table tennis with Tokyo Paralympics table tennis silver medalist Thomas Schmidberger, gold medalist Valentin Baus and two time Paralympic Competitor Sandra Mikolaschek.
Flanked by his ever-present bodyguard – former US Secret Service agent Christopher Sanchez – Harry walked through the crowds at the Zuiderpark to a tent where visitors can try their luck on a virtual golf course.
He was handed a seven iron and guided by an instructor was shown how to correctly hold the club.
The Prince jokingly warned people to stand back as he took a swing – and drove his ball a distance of 54ft. The crowd cheered when the screen showed his ball bouncing on to the virtual green.
Kotb, 57, shared several images of herself with Harry on her Twitter account ahead of the interview’s broadcast on Wednesday morning
The interview will see Harry, 37, speaking about his role as a father to Archie, two, and 10-month-old Lilibet, who live in the couple’s $14.5 million mansion in California
Harry and 40-year-old Meghan (seen left together at the Invictus Games) made a secret visit to the Queen (seen right last month) last week during a quick stop-off in the UK
Prince Harry and 2021 Tokyo Paralympics table tennis silver medalist Thomas Schmidberger play a match of table tennis
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex gets a golf lesson by iSPS Handa ambassador Brendan Lawlor in The Hague yesterday
Harry was handed a seven iron and guided by an instructor was shown how to correctly hold the club in The Hague
His on-air sit-down marks the latest in a handful of media interviews that he has done since he and Meghan arrived in The Hague on Friday for the start of this year’s Invictus Games.
On Monday, the father-of-two broke his silence about the couple’s meeting with the Queen while speaking to the BBC, saying that it was ‘great to see her’ and adding that she ‘would have loved’ to have attended the Invictus Games alongside him.
Harry, who founded the event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women in 2014, said the 96-year-old monarch ‘had plenty of messages for Team UK’ when he met her at Windsor Castle last week.
He added he had passed these onto the team, telling the broadcaster: ‘So, it was great to see her and I’m sure she would love to be here if she could.’
There were reports Harry and Meghan had promised the Queen she would meet her great-grandchildren Archie and Lilibet ‘in the near future’ during the ‘very cordial’ secret meeting on Thursday.
According to The Mirror, senior royal sources described the meeting as ‘very cordial’ and ‘incredibly warm and good natured’.
One royal biographer has claimed the meeting was a way for Prince Harry to ‘slowly starting to rebuild some bridges’ with his father Prince Charles.
Harry and Meghan reportedly also opened the door to a return from their $14.5 million mansion in California for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and told her of their plans to visit again so she can spend time with their children.
While the Queen had the opportunity to meet Archie – who was born while Meghan and Harry were still living in the UK and serving as senior working royals – she has not yet met her great-granddaughter Lilibet, who is named after her.
Meghan gave birth to Lilibet Diana in June of last year at a hospital near the couple’s Montecito home and they have yet to bring their daughter over to the UK.
Indeed, the couple’s brief trip to the UK last week marked the first time that Meghan has returned to Britain since she and Harry sensationally quit the royal family in March 2020 – a move that has become widely known as ‘Megxit’.
Prince Harry has made just a handful of visits to the UK since the couple relocated to California in the wake of Megxit but he chose not to attend Prince Philip’s memorial service, which took place last month – just over two weeks before the Sussexes made their trip to see the Queen.
His decision to skip the emotional event was met with severe criticism from royal insiders, with Prince Philip’s former protection officer describing Harry’s absence as ‘pathetic’.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex remained at their mansion in Montecito while the rest of the royal family, including the Queen despite recent health issues, gathered in London for the poignant event.
Harry’s absence at the event came amid an ongoing battle about his security; he is currently pursuing a legal challenge against the Home Office in the UK after being told he would no longer be given the ‘same degree’ of personal protective security when visiting from the US, despite offering to pay for it himself.
It is unclear exactly what agreement was reached with regards to security before Meghan and Harry returned to the UK last week.
However, reports about their meeting with the Queen suggest that the couple is open to attending the Monarch’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June.
Insiders claim that they have been invited to appear at several family events during the multi-day event, including the traditional balcony appearance and a service of thanksgiving at St Paul’s to celebrate the monarch’s 70 years on the throne.
The Sussexes’ secret trip marked the first time that Meghan has returned to the UK since the couple (seen at the Invictus Games) sensationally quit the royal family at the start of 2020
The Queen has yet to meet her great-granddaughter Lilibet (right), who was born in California in June last year, and she has not seen Archie (left) since he was an infant
Harry and Meghan chose not to attend Prince Philip’s memorial service last month amid the Duke of Sussex’s ongoing battle with the UK Home Office about his security protection
The interview will also see Harry opening up about the Invictus Games; the Today show shared an image of the Duke posing alongside Kotb and one of the US veterans taking part
Kotb also posted a behind-the-scenes snap on her social media accounts, while encouraging her followers to tune in to Wednesday’s broadcast
The Today anchor posted a glimpse at the interview on Instagram, showing Harry looking down in an apparent moment of reflection during the sit-down
The news of Harry’s Today interview will likely prompt concern inside Buckingham Palace over what bombshells he might drop; the sit-down comes just over a year after the Sussexes’ explosive on-air chat with Oprah Winfrey
Kotb spoke with Winfrey last year in the wake of her interview with the Sussexes
As well as doing several interviews during his time at the Games, Harry has also been followed by a crew of cameramen from Netflix, which is making a documentary about the sporting event as part of the Sussexes reported multi-million pound deal with the streaming giant.
Harry’s interview with Kotb is thought to mark the first time that the pair have spoken on-air, although Kotb did interview Oprah Winfrey last year in the wake of her sit-down with the Sussexes.
Winfrey, 68, spoke with Kotb in May 2021 – just hours after Harry publicly aired more damaging allegations about his family in an Apple TV+ series about mental health.
During the interview, the TV mogul defended Harry and Meghan’s public bashing of the royal family, insisting that the Sussexes ‘deserve’ to ‘not be intruded and invaded upon’ – but claiming that this shouldn’t mean they are unable to speak out about their experiences.
‘You know, I ask for privacy, and I’m talking all the time,’ she said.
‘So I think being able to have a life that you are not intruded upon by photographers, or people flying overhead, or invading your life, is what every person wants and deserves — to not to be intruded and invaded upon.
‘That’s what people are missing. Privacy doesn’t mean silence.’
Her public defence of the couple came just hours after Harry launched fresh attacks on his family in their new five-part mental health series, which sees the Duke accusing his father Prince Charles of making him ‘suffer’ as a child and claiming that the royals tried to ‘bully him into silence’.
Harry also alleged that the royal family tried to ‘trap’ him and Meghan, claiming that the couple faced ‘total silence, total neglect’ when they asked The Firm for help.
The full interview will air on NBC News’ TODAY on Wednesday, April 20.
‘Proud Papa’ Prince Harry reveals Lilibet has ‘taken her first steps’ and that Archie ‘wants to be a pilot or astronaut’ when he grows up – but he and Meghan tell him ‘it’s your character that matters most’
by BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES for MailOnline
Prince Harry has revealed his daughter 10-month-old daughter Lilibet has ‘taken her first steps’ and is ‘trying to keep up with her big brother Archie’.
In an interview with People magazine, the Duke of Sussex, 37, revealed he ‘can’t wait’ to take his children to the Invictus Games in the future and that Archie, who turns three next month, wants to follow in his footsteps to become a helicopter pilot.
The royal, who is currently at the Invictus Games in The Hague, added he’s a ‘proud papa’ and that little Archie ‘loved’ videos of wheelchair basketball and rugby that he showed him from the Invictus Games in Sydney in 2018.
‘I showed him how some were missing legs and explained that some had invisible injuries, too,’ he said. ‘Not because he asked, but because I wanted to tell him. Kids understand so much, and to see it through his eyes was amazing because it’s so unfiltered and honest.’
He added: ‘When I talk to my son Archie about what he wants to be when he grows up, some days it’s an astronaut, other days it’s a pilot — a helicopter pilot obviously — or Kwazii from Octonauts,’ referring to a daredevil cat from a children’s cartoon.
‘But what I remind him is that no matter what you want to be when you grow up, it’s your character that matters most, and nothing would make his mum and me prouder than to see him have the character of what we see before us today,’ he added.
Prince Harry has revealed his daughter Lilibet has ‘taken her first steps’ and is ‘trying to keep up with her big brother Archie’. Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are pictured on their Christmas card last year
Speaking about the Invictus Games – where wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women compete, he went on: ‘Being a dad certainly adds another emotional layer to it.
‘When I was in the Army, I promised myself I would be out before having a wife and kids, because I couldn’t imagine the heartache of being apart for so long during deployment, the risk of possibly getting injured, and the reality that my family’s lives could be changed forever if that happened.
‘Every member of the Invictus community has experienced varying degrees of these things. I have tremendous respect for what they and their families sacrifice in the name of service.’
Reflecting on how things have changed since the Toronto Invictus Games, Prince Harry added: ‘Now, five years later, here we are in The Hague at the fifth Invictus Games, as parents of two, and living in the US.
‘I had always wanted to share these incredible moments with someone special, and to have Meg by my side means everything.’
Their daughter, Lilibet, has not met the Queen or Prince Charles, while little Archie hasn’t seen his paternal grandparents or great-grandparents since he was six months old.
Senior royal sources described the meeting as ‘very cordial’ and ‘incredibly warm and good natured’. Harry and Meghan reportedly opened the door to return from the US for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and told her of their plans to visit again so she can spend time with the children.
The Queen is yet to meet her great-granddaughter, Lilibet, who was named after Her Majesty’s childhood nickname. Archie – seventh in line to the British throne – is almost three months old and reports have previously hinted at the Queen’s sadness at not having the chance to spend more time with him.
Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, 40, made a visit to the Queen this week and told her she will be able to hug her great-grandchildren in ”the near future’ according to reports.
In an interview with People magazine , the Duke of Sussex , 37, revealed he ‘can’t wait’ to take his children to the Invictus Games in the future and that Archie, who turns three next month, wants to follow in his footsteps to become a helicopter pilot. Meghan and Harry are pictured at the games
Harry’s comments comes as Buckingham Palace officials were today preparing for further bombshell revelations from Prince Harry after a major US TV network announced that he had given them a sit-down interview during the Invictus Games.
NBC’s Today show revealed that the Duke of Sussex had spoken to presenter Hoda Kotb while in the Netherlands about ‘the Invictus Games, his surprise visit with the Queen and life with his wife Meghan Markle’.
The chat will be previewed on NBC Nightly News tonight, which airs at 11.30pm UK time (6.30pm Eastern Time, in New York) – and then shown in full tomorrow on the Today programme from 12pm UK time (7am Eastern Time).
The Palace will be concerned that Harry could make further claims about the Royal Family only a year after his infamous interview to Oprah Winfrey on CBS in which he and Meghan accused unnamed royals of racism.
The Duke has a deeply strained relationship with his family – especially his father Prince Charles and brother Prince William – and missed last month’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey for his grandfather Prince Philip.
Harry’s meeting with the Queen and Charles last Thursday before he arrived in The Hague was supposedly secret, but he has already revealed that it was ‘great to see her’ – and could now give more details about their discussion.
The royal, who is currently at the Invictus Games in The Hague, added he’s a ‘proud papa’ and that little Archie ‘loved’ videos of wheelchair basketball and rugby that he showed him from the Invictus Games in Sydney in 2018. Meghan and Harry are pictured with Archie in South Africa in 2019
The Duke has already said that his grandmother ‘had plenty of messages for Team UK’ which he had already passed on and told the BBC yesterday: ‘It was great to see her and I’m sure she would love to be here if she could.’
Royal aides will be concerned about details from a private meeting being divulged, which come on top of fears over what could be contained in his forthcoming memoirs and Netflix documenting his every move at the Games.
The Duke has already been accused in recent days of using his platform at the Games to promote BetterUp, the California mental health start-up for whom he is ‘chief impact officer’ – after the two announced a partnership.
Meanwhile today, Harry played table tennis and virtual golf today as his visit to the Games continued alone after his wife Meghan, 40, left him in The Hague to fly home to their children Archie and Lilibet at their $14m home in California.
Earlier this week, the Duke of Sussex spoke of his drive to ‘make the world a better place’ for his children and said that people ‘shouldn’t bring children into the world’ unless they’re willing to improve it for them.
Speaking with the Netherlands ‘ Kindercorrespondent reporters during the Invictus Games at The Hague, Harry said he wanted his two young children to grow up ‘in a fairer world, a safer world, a more equal world’.
‘It’s not going to be easy but I will never, ever, ever rest until I have as a parent at least tried to make the world a better place for them because it is our responsibility that the world is the way it is now,’ the Duke told the child reporters, aged 11 and 12.
‘I don’t think that we should be bringing children into the world unless we’re going to make that commitment to make it better for them. We cannot steal your future.’
While in the Netherlands, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she is missing her two young children.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, hug Lisa Johnston, a former army medic and amputee, who celebrates with her medal at the Invictus Games venue in The Hague, Netherlands, Sunday, April 17, 2022
Meghan made the confession as she sat in of a reading to a group of 12 children in a private event held in the Zuiderpark on the second day of the event.
She told British army veteran James Stride that she had wanted to attend the reading as it meant she was around children, and they reminded her of her own back home in California.
‘Meghan was quite chatty and told me she was missing her children,’ said James, one of the GB competitors in the games being held in The Hague.
‘She said she wanted to be with children as she was missing her own.’
Speaking with Dutch Kindercorrespondent reporters during the Invictus Games at The Hague, Harry said he wanted his two young children, Archie and Lilibet – known as Lili – to grow up ‘in a fairer world, a safer world, a more equal world’
The couple’s first trip to Europe is understood to be the longest they have been apart from their two young children.
Harry has previously spoken at length about his desire to improve the world for his children, and has openly discussed how he is trying to ‘break the cycle of pain and suffering’ of his own upbringing with Archie and Lilibet.
‘I don’t think we should be pointing the finger or blaming anybody, but certainly when it comes to parenting, if I’ve experienced some form of pain or suffering because of the pain or suffering that perhaps my father or my parents had suffered, I’m going to make sure I break that cycle so that I don’t pass it on,’ The Duke said in an interview with ITV last year.
‘It’s a lot of genetic pain and suffering that gets passed on anyway so we as parents should be doing the most we can to try and say ”you know what, that happened to me, I’m going to make sure that doesn’t happen to you”.’
Hug a Harry! Cuddly Duke of Sussex continues to be very affectionate with Invictus Games athletes as he hands out swimming medals in The Hague
by BRIDIE PEARSON-JONES for MailOnline
Prince Harry was seen warmly embracing British athletes and competitors as he handed out medals following a swimming event at the the Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex, 37, affectionately hugged gold medallist Rachel Williamson and silver medallist Sally Renard on the fourth day of the Paralympic-style event he set up for wounded service personnel.
Harry, who remains in The Hague after wife Meghan, 40, flew back to California to join children Archie and Lilibet, was seen beaming with Team United Kingdom before presenting their accolades.
The royal, who spent playing table tennis and virtual golf with athletes, was also spotted heartily embracing an Australian competitor at Zuiderpark.
Prince Harry was seen warmly embracing British athletes and competitors as he handed out medals following a swimming event at the the Invictus Games
Harry, 37, who remains in The Hague after wife Meghan flew back to California was seen beaming with Team United Kingdom before presenting their accolades
RAF veteran Williamson competed in the Invictus Games in Sydney 2018 and is this year’s Team UK Captain while former RAF corporal Renard was selected for the games for this first time this year since her injury whilst on tour in Afghanistan.
Harry’s appearance this evening comes after the news that the Duke has given a sit-down interview to NBC’s Today show presenter Hoda Kotb while in the Netherlands.
The programme claimed Harry will speak about the Invictus Games, his surprise and supposedly secret visit with the Queen last week and his life with wife Meghan.
Putting a positive spin on his meeting, the Duke told the BBC yesterday that ‘it was great to see her’ during a quick stop-off before his arrival in the Netherlands for the competition.
Harry was seen dolling out hugs as he presented medals at the swimming competition during day four of the Invictus Games
The Duke of Sussex was also spotted heartily embracing an Australian competitor at Zuiderpark
He said his grandmother ‘had plenty of messages for Team UK’ and would have ‘loved to be here if she could’.
The chat will be previewed on NBC Nightly News tonight, which airs at 11.30pm UK time (6.30pm Eastern Time, in New York) – and then shown in full tomorrow on the Today programme from 12pm UK time (7am Eastern Time).
The interview comes only a year after his infamous interview to Oprah Winfrey on CBS in which he and Meghan accused unnamed royals of racism.
The Duke has a deeply strained relationship with his family – especially his father Prince Charles and brother Prince William – and missed last month’s memorial service at Westminster Abbey for his grandfather Prince Philip.
Royal aides will be concerned about details from a private meeting being divulged, which come on top of fears over what could be contained in his forthcoming memoirs and Netflix documenting his every move at the Games.
Prince Harry gives out medals at the swimming competition during day four of the Invictus Games The Hague 2020 at Zuiderpark
The Duke was seen affectionately hugging various competitors on day four of the Invictus Games at Het Hofbad the Hague, Netherlands
The Duke has already been accused in recent days of using his platform at the Games to promote BetterUp, the California mental health start-up for whom he is ‘chief impact officer’ – after the two announced a partnership.
Meanwhile, the Duke revealed that his youngest child Lilibet, 10 months, has ‘taken her first steps’ and is ‘trying to keep up with her big brother Archie’.
In an interview with People magazine, Harry said he ‘can’t wait’ to take his children to the Invictus Games in the future and that Archie, who turns three next month, wants to follow in his footsteps to become a helicopter pilot.
Harry added he’s a ‘proud papa’ and that little Archie ‘loved’ videos of wheelchair basketball and rugby that he showed him from the Invictus Games in Sydney in 2018.
Prince Harry heartily hugs one of the winners during the medal ceremony of a swimming event at the Invictus Games
The Duke of Sussex hugs Team United Kingdom competitor Lisa Johnston during the swimming at the Invictus Games at Zuiderpark the Hague
‘I showed him how some were missing legs and explained that some had invisible injuries, too,’ he said. ‘Not because he asked, but because I wanted to tell him. Kids understand so much, and to see it through his eyes was amazing because it’s so unfiltered and honest.’
He added the the US tabloid: ‘When I talk to my son Archie about what he wants to be when he grows up, some days it’s an astronaut, other days it’s a pilot — a helicopter pilot obviously — or Kwazii from Octonauts,’ referring to a daredevil cat from a children’s cartoon.
‘But what I remind him is that no matter what you want to be when you grow up, it’s your character that matters most, and nothing would make his mum and me prouder than to see him have the character of what we see before us today,’ he said
Earlier this week, the Duke of Sussex spoke of his drive to ‘make the world a better place’ for his children and said that people ‘shouldn’t bring children into the world’ unless they’re willing to improve it for them.
The Duke of Sussex hugs a medalist at the swimming competition during day four of the Invictus Games
The Duke of Sussex was seen warmly embracing an Australian competitor at the Invictus Games this evening
The Duke of Sussex hugs gold medallist Rachel Williamson and silver medallist Sally Renard on day four of the Invictus Games
Speaking with the Netherlands ‘ Kindercorrespondent reporters during the Invictus Games at The Hague, Harry said he wanted his two young children to grow up ‘in a fairer world, a safer world, a more equal world’.
‘It’s not going to be easy but I will never, ever, ever rest until I have as a parent at least tried to make the world a better place for them because it is our responsibility that the world is the way it is now,’ the Duke told the child reporters, aged 11 and 12.
‘I don’t think that we should be bringing children into the world unless we’re going to make that commitment to make it better for them. We cannot steal your future.’
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