The Royal Report | 4 August

Vincys whose wife report.

Good evening. Welcome to the Royal Report. I'm Caroline de Russo. Coming up on the show tonight. Harry and Meghan are about to release their first sit down interview since twenty twenty one.

We'll give you a sneak peek. The Royals have just headed.

To Bowmoral Castle for their summer holiday. But were Harry and Meghan invited or have they received yet another Royal snub? And the Sussexes have revealed the next stop on their non royal tour. Brussell Myers joins us from London with all the details. But first, in a few hours, CBS will be releasing an exclusive interview with Harry and Meghan.

It's their first.

Interview together since they sat down with Oprah in twenty twenty one. Now the purpose of the interview is to talk about the dangers of social media for children and how they want to help families impacted by that pervading social harm.

Here is a recently released teaser markidre Young.

They're three and five.

They're amazing, but all you want.

To do is parents, is protect them and so as we can see what's happening in the online space, We know that there's a lot of work to be done there, and we're just happy to be able to be a part of Well you've changed for good.

When your children ask for help, someone you know is there to give it.

You know if you're not, if you know how to help, thank you.

At this point, we've got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder.

Now.

I don't doubt their genuine desire to advocate on this issue. It's an issue impacting children and families across the globe now. Harry only recently spoke about his battle with the press and concerns for his privacy.

Anything I say about my family results in a torrent of abuse from the press. I've made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we did it as a family. I believe that, again from a service standpoint, and when you're in a public role, that these are the things that we should be doing for the greater good.

But I do have one very serious gripe.

If you think people, including children, deserve privacy and protection, then you also have to afford other people that same respect. You cannot be an advocate for privacy for some on one hand, and commercialize other people's privacy.

On the other.

Now, Harry made millions on his memoir Spare, including a twenty million dollar advance. Now that book included information about his brother William from William's childhood. So is William not also deserving of having his childhood home life kept private. And let's not even get into the raft of other avenues he has publicized and commercialized the private lives of others. Now, the important part of advocacy is authenticity, and Harry can be a brilliant advocate, but he needs to not be

This The Prince and his Wife.

We we.

Thanks for having as on this show.

It's Us and the Beads Cray.

So let me start with you, Sam.

You've lived a life with the royal family. You've had everything handed to you, but you say your life has been hard, and now you've written all about it in your new book.

Where so as I said, advocacy can be such a win for Harry if he can avoid the own goals. Joining me now is Gematoniini from GT Communications and commentator Samara gil Samara. In this CBS interview, the Sussexes are talking about children and social media and online bullying. What were the main takeaways on the teaser for you and do you think it struck the right note?

I mean, it was very hard to decipher Harry's psychobabble.

I think he's been in one to Sito a little bit too long.

It was actually really difficult to figure out what he was trying to say. Calling parents first responders or say that they should be first responders was really tone deaf. I mean, most parents are just trying to put food on the table and keep the lights on instead of being also a full time therapist.

On top of it.

But I'm not going to take sorry bullying advice and cyber bullying advice from someone like Megan Markle and Harry

She had brought them to tears. I mean, not to.

Mention Harry's book that he published, which basically aired out every piece of.

Dirty laundry that the royal family.

Has ever had, dragged them through the mud for things that happened behind closed doors. I mean, it's just ridiculous that they're now coming and saying that there's some sort of bastion of anti bullying when their record shows that they are completely, completely not the people to be lecturing us on.

This, Jemma privacy, cyber bullying huge worldwide issue. And while I agree with you know also many of the points made by Samara, but I understand the point that Harry.

And Meghan are trying to make.

I still can't but help think they're doing themselves a bit of a disservice in the credibility stakes on this particular issue.

What's interesting that.

You bring up the word credibility, because these sorts of conversations, the bedrock of these conversations is credibility and the credibility of the people trying to drive these conversations and influence

The existence about.

These are just people like you and me. So Harry and Meghan, whilst in their own minds no doubt, are the hero of their own stories and are very well intentioned, have zero credibility in this space to talk about cyberbullying and to talk about these things because they are still engaging in this stuff. They're still engaging in life by you know, media, social media, all of that sort of thing.

I mean, it was just.

Absolutely vile behavior.

So I don't, you know, bless them.

I feel a little bit sorry for them, because this couple continually going through this circular door of we're so great, We're going to save the world in this issue that issue, But they have absolutely no credibility from which to launch this conversation.

And circular is a good way to put it. Samara report this week that Megan wants Harry to give up the lawsuits and she wants him to be free. Fair enough, legal proceedings are very stressful, but this comment seems a little bit disingenuous when all else is considered.

Yeah, I mean, I think it was completely kind of weirdly, I think that Megan is backtracking. She's basically fettered Harry's fire for a long time. She's turned him against his family. He was obviously already vengeful towards the media after what had happened to his mother.

But she has really I think backtrack.

Pick he she didn't probably realize how traumatized and jaded he actually was, and he has obviously become very nefarious about these court cases. He continuously flies to London. He's obviously this last week on ITV said that London is not safe or the UK is not safe for his children, but then this week also confirmed that he's happy to go to Columbia, which is one of the most unsafe countries on.

The face of the earth.

So it's very confusing behavior and I do think that he's kind of gotten.

Very obsessed with getting revenge on what he feels is right.

It's bigger than just his children now, it's bigger than Megan. It's also about his mother, and I think that Megan's probably sick of it.

She probably wants him to just move on a little bit.

And focus on the future of arch well of what they're trying to do. But I can't really say that she's an innocent bystander and all this. I think that she is very much the reason that he has gone and sort of had this very insane precision with how he wants to.

Actually get back at the media and the royal family.

And still on the Sassaxcess Gemma, we understand that they haven't been invited to balmorl. Both you and I have had some pretty eventful family occasions, but everyone still gets invited.

Is this a surprise.

Nobody does conflict like ethnic families, Caro.

We seem to manage our way through it. Look, I think it's sad.

I think any kind of family fracturing is sad. It doesn't fill me with any kind of delight to read that sort of thing, because you know, all we have at the end.

Of the day's family.

But I also understand the need for healthy boundaries when somebody has betrayed the trust of their family, like Harry certainly has with the book and with other things. It's not like, you know, you can love someone, you can love someone from a distance if that's the healthiest way to do it. And why would you bring or allow that friction and that discord and that pres into a family gathering when there's still things unresolved. If it were me and it was I mean, my brother wouldn't be

Absolutely, I couldn't agree with you more.

Jemmy and a Trainer has just been released for The Cowboy and the Queen, a film which tells a story about the Queen and her friendship with an American horse trainer.

Here's a look at that.

Few have asked me, do you think this world could really change in your lifetime? I would have said absolutely not, But when the Queen of England coughed, she completely changed my life.

Smara. How did this film come about?

I think it well, basically it came about because Monty Roberts was endorsed by the Queen. He had a very unorthodox style to training horses, something that really wasn't popular at the time. But the Queen came along as she always was a pioneer of horse racing and anything to do with horses.

I think she'd actually be I'm kind of upset that this thing didn't come out.

When she was alive, because I think that she'd be really happy to watch it and be a part of the actual documentary. It's kind of you know, this is happening after the fact, but you know, he used to be the common thing to break a horse's spirit, and this obviously Monty Roberts championed a much more you know, nicer environment for training horses and really a new technique, and the Queen came along early on endorsed that, and they you know, they had a wonderful friendship. He's obviously

Yeah, very very fair.

And Jamber the Queen was such a well rounded person. She had a real talent for being able to engage with anyone. How important are stories like this.

I mean, there's just so important for so many reasons. But I just want to point out to those of us who are not equestrian literate, Monte Roberts is the pioneer of liberty, the liberty approach to horsemanship. It is revolutionary. It is about partnership within horse and rider. It is absolutely the benchmark for how horsemanship should be conducted. It is revolutionary, and this relationship between the two of them

Some point somehow. Yeah, I feel like you should.

I feel like you should, and wonderfully put gematon Uini and Samara gil thank you so much for joining us. Coming up after the break, Russell Myers joins us from London to reveal the details about Harry and Meghan's non.

Royal royal tour. Welcome back.

Joining me now is Royal editor for The Daily Mirror, Russell Myers. Russell, we have spoken so many times on this show about the Sussexes not wanting to visit the UK for apparent's safety concerns. Their decision to visit Columbia has raised some erows.

Well, it has Caro certainly. I mean, you know the fact that they're.

Doing this quasi royal tour once again, that we saw them in Nigeria just a few months ago, and now Colombia will be hosting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. And this follows hot on the heels of Prince Harry saying that he didn't feel comfortable bringing his wife and children once again back to the UK for fearing attack, and so you know, it does beg the question as to,

I think.

I think so.

And earlier in the show we did touch on that soon to be released a CBS interview with the Sussexes. As you will know, it's all about protecting children from social media and its consequences that no doubt impacts their reluctance to have their own children in the media spotlight, right, well, very much so.

I mean, you know, they absolutely fiercely guarded their own children's privacy and that's absolutely laudable. Of course, Harry has spoken on countless occasions about the upbringing he had within the royal family, the fact that he has a very fractured relationship with the press, and he wants to protect his children from that. But you know, it does this should this be afforded to members of his family. You know, their privacy is absolutely paramount. We've seen him talking in interviews,

So it doesn't really add up the fact.

That he's trying to pret his own children's privacy and yet is more than willing to discuss the private lives of his family members.

Now an interesting story in your mass head the Mirror this week that Meghan thought she had more social clout than the Beckhams.

It's a bit optimistic, isn't it.

Well, you know it's not too long ago, Caro, that you know, we were writing stories from pr gurus saying that the Duke and Dutchess Sussex had a billion dollar brand, that they were going to launch themselves into the stratosphere. What were you know, the sky was the limit for them. And you know that brand Beckham has been very very well documented. You know, they've gone on to due success, whether it's fashion or sport, owning football clubs, and the Sussexes did have it all in their hands.

And where has it gone wrong for them?

You know, Meghan has had a disastrous deal with Spotify, the Netflix dealers. In the balance, I'm sure there will be few sort of bumps in the road for them, but it is the brand tainted and that Meghan's going to launch this new lifestyle brand.

In due course.

But it has had a bit of a fractious stars and I think that when they left the royal family they did absolutely have different expectations to the reality that has transpired.

And just on Meghan's lifestyle brand.

Obviously there was a sort of launch what feels like months ago. We really haven't seen anything, you know, really substantive on that since.

We know I PR experts and they're saying, you know, it has been very very sort of watered down. You would expect a big, big launch and to launch her new brand, what is it going to be?

We still don't know what.

American Riviera Orchard is and the name is very sort of messy. Nobody really understands what the brand is all about. And they did need to capitalize I think when they left the royal family to hit the ground running, to launch themselves into the sort of the public consciousness.

It hasn't really gone to plan, has it.

Like I said that the Spotify deals sort of went by the buy and the Netflix deal is in the balance as well. So you know, maybe the second half of this year is going to be a turning point for them and.

We will be watching.

Now also in the Mirror a report about the Sussexes having a relationship change. Now they've had some turnover of staff and we understand they probably regret some of their previous the publicity related decisions. What's the change and how are they looking to improve on that personal brand.

Well, listen, we've foken countless time someway about the new refrunding of the Sussex is what are they going to do with their staff. There's been a huge huse turnover whether they're going to base themselves in the US or are going to come back to the UK. Yeah, we're talking about tools to Nigeria, come Columbia. It all seems a bit haphazard and I think that, you know, do they want a different relationship with the rural family that

At the moment, and I think that's certainly they did want to have a new relationship with the raw family.

They're going to need to sort of take the sting out of the tail and maybe not start speaking about the sort of private lives of those individuals for a start.

That would be an excellent start.

Now, another interesting allegation to make the news this week apparently Prince William ben Megan from wearing Princess Diana's jewelry.

Now is there anything to this.

Climb Well, it's an interesting part in Robert Jobson, the raw biographer's new book about Katherine, the Princess of Wales. It's sort of a life and times bringing you right up to date. And this is from Harry's wedding that apparently Prince William did speak to the late Queen that he didn't want Mega Markle wearing any of Diana's jewelry.

Now we have seen, of course.

Meghan wearing parts of the late Princess of Wales's jewelry, the ear rings, whether she was gifted a cart here watch from from from Harry. Of course he does have access to a lot of Diana's jewelry. But I think this takes you back to sort of the testing times of the early days of Harry and Meghan's relationship. Was William a big fan of Meghan? It doesn't seem so.

Now?

The Olympics are in full swing and the continental royal families are absolutely out in force.

What's the update for this week.

Well, there's got to be some perks to being a member of the Royal family. It seems to getting the best tickets in the house is one of them. And we've seen Princess Anne at the equestrian events. We saw him handing out medals to the swimmers the other night. The Queen Mary of Denmark has been cheering on the Danish contingent.

The Netherlands royal family has.

Been out in force as well, and I'm sure you know put Princess and it's going to be on hand to deliver some more medals hopefully be here for your guys and girls and hopefully for Team GP as well. But it's been a very very big royal affair as.

We've been going through these Olympic Games.

We have been doing very well.

And lastly, and I've got a bit lesson a minute, Russell, the coronation was obviously a huge event in the royal calendar last year. We understand that the Royal Collection Trust has done quite well out of it.

Well, it has, it's had a bumper, bumper year you know, the coffers have been filled up to the tune of about ten pounds. You know, because of the coronation. They're still sort of reaping the benefits of that.

You know.

There's a lot of people coming to the new Buckingham Palace East Wing that has been open for the very first time this year, and I think that's as we sort of come into the latter half of this year, it's going to be very very important to try and get the tourist in to bolster up the coffers. The Royal Collection Trusts are are feeling the pinch a little bit more in this.

Year than they have in previous years.

So hopefully the tour is going to be flocking to London and beyond.

I trust they will be.

Russell Meyers, thank you for joining us now before we go. And as we discussed earlier, the Queen really was loved by everyone.

Although she was a monarch, she.

Had a great tac for engaging with people regardless of their nationality, background or circumstances, including American rapper Snoop Dog.

I've heard the future King Williams is a huge Snoop fan.

Hopefully I can get in what a Queen was a fan too, were the peak of the Queen. That was my girl. You know what I'm saying, soul.

And that's the show for tonight. Thank you so much for joining us. Up next is Newsnight.