The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are fighting a “visceral emotional war” with the royal family but the only winners will be Netflix, a PR expert has said.
Harry and Meghan’s documentary on the streaming service has plunged relations with the monarchy to a new low after they made damaging claims that could irreparably break bonds with the Prince of Wales.
In another development, a former communications secretary to the Queen countered Harry’s suggestion that press officers representing different royals briefed against members of the royal family, saying any such action would be “counterproductive”.
Public relations and crisis consultant Mark Borkowski said the six-part Harry & Meghan Netflix documentary, which gave an insight into their luxury Californian lifestyle, battles with the media and travails with the royals in the aftermath of stepping down, was aimed at a US, not UK, audience.
He said: “This is not messaging for the UK, they’ve clearly given that up, this is purely messaging for America who do understand that lifestyle.
“This is a war, a visceral emotional war they’re fighting in America and they’re painting the royal family in a way which fits dangerously closely to the narrative of The Crown.”
During the final instalments of the Netflix documentary released this week the duke alleged his brother, the Prince of Wales, screamed and shouted at him during a tense Sandringham summit and Kensington Palace “lied to protect my brother” when it issued a statement denying a story William had bullied him out of the royal family.
In a raft of other bombshell allegations against his family, Harry accused his father, now the King, of saying untrue things when the Queen gathered them together at Sandringham in January 2020 in a bid to solve the Megxit crisis.
Harry also claimed his brother’s office, Kensington Palace, traded negative stories just like his father’s had in the past, saying it was “heartbreaking” to see something he and William promised they would “never ever do” taking place.
Ailsa Anderson, who served as communications and press secretary to the late Queen, reportedly said briefing against the royals would only harm the monarchy.
She told ABC’s Good Morning America: “In the 13 years that I worked for the royal household, there is not one occasion where I ever briefed against another member of the royal family.
“It would be completely counterproductive; it would damage the institution. It would be wrong, and the Queen would not sanction it.”
Harry and Meghan’s allegations sparked a furious response from some of the nation’s papers, with The Sun running with the frontpage headline The Traitor & The Dutiful, with a picture of William and his family, and said the latest allegations amounted to a declaration of “all-out war” against the royal family.
In America The Hollywood Reporter said about the Sussexes: “They show no signs of surrender as episodes four through six plunge the Firm deeper into reputational bedlam, the current heir to the throne at its center.”
Harry and Meghan are rumoured to have signed a deal with Netflix worth tens of millions of dollars which has enabled them to become financially independent, one of their aims when they stepped down as working royals.
Mr Borkowski said: “The winners in this are Netflix, they’re harvesting huge amounts and obviously they want to get as much money back as possible.”
Just hours after the finale aired on the streaming giant on Thursday, the royal family put on a united front, with William and the Princess of Wales taking Prince George and Princess Charlotte to Kate’s Together at Christmas carol concert.
And the King appeared relaxed on Friday when he enjoyed an impromptu dance with Eva Schloss, Anne Frank’s stepsister, during a celebration of the Jewish festival Chanukah when he visited a Jewish community centre in north London.
