A British author has called for King Charles III to remove Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal titles "swiftly and decisively", as he claimed an award given to the Sussexes was an "insult" to the monarchy.
Nile Gardiner, a foreign policy analyst and former aide to Margaret Thatcher, spoke out after it emerged that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will receive a human rights award for standing up to "structural racism" in the Royal Family.
Harry and Meghan won the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Ripple of Hope Award for challenging The Firm's "power structure".
John F Kennedy's niece, Kerry Kennedy, who will host the awards, said the pair took a brave stance against the royals, knowing they would be ostracised as a result.
Mr Gardiner described the award as "a disgraceful attack" on the monarchy, as he tweeted: "A ridiculous award for Meghan and Harry, and a disgraceful attack on the British Monarchy.
"Duke and Duchess of Sussex to receive human rights award for 'heroic stand' against royal 'racism'."
Ms Kennedy said: "They went to the oldest institution in UK history and told them what they were doing wrong, that they couldn't have structural racism within the institution; that they could not maintain a misunderstanding about mental health.
"Few would have the courage to question their colleagues, family and community about the power structure they maintained, and this is what Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have done."
It comes after Harry and Meghan said they experienced racism within the Royal Family during an explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The pair alleged a senior royal made a racist comment about the skin colour of their then-unborn son Archie.
Prince William was forced to defend the monarchy after the interview, telling reporters "we are very much not a racist family".
Buckingham Palace also issued a statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II following the interview, saying: "While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately."
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior royals in January 2020 but are still referred to as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Last month, a royal biographer claimed King Charles could strip Harry and Meghan of their titles in retaliation for "going fully rogue" with a tell-all memoir.
Author Tom Bower also warned the new monarch could withhold Archie and Lilibet's titles over the 416-page book called Spare, which he believes is "make or break" for the Sussexes.
The memoir was set to come out this autumn, but the date was pushed back to January 10 as a mark of respect following the death of the Queen.
Harry has vowed it will be a "truthful and wholly accurate" account of his life - with the announcement of the novel reportedly sending a "tsunami of fear" through royal circles.
