A Tory MP suggested bringing forward a private members’ bill which could see the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stripped of their royal titles, amid the release of their new Netflix documentary. Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely called the situation a “political issue” and accused Prince Harry of “attacking” the monarchy.
The MP said he could bring forward the proposed legislation in the new year. If it passed MPs would vote on a resolution that could give the Privy Council the power to downgrade the couple’s royal status.
The couple’s Netflix documentary began streaming on Thursday with the release of three episodes. In the series Harry accused the royals of having a “huge level of unconscious bias” while Meghan said the media wanted to “destroy” her.
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Even before the documentary’s release Mr Seely had been considering his private members’ bill, first reported by the MailOnline, the MP told PA news agency. The bill would amend the royal 1917 Titles Deprivation Act, which stripped royal titles from those who supported Germany in the First World War.
However, bills proposed by individual MPs, and without Government backing, rarely pass through Parliament. Mr Seely suggests he would probably put down the amendment in early 2023, with the bill likely to be very short.
“There is a political issue,” he said. “As well as trashing his family and monetising his misery for public consumption, he is also attacking some important institutions in this country.”
Mr Seely asked why Harry continues to use the titles, while “at the same time trashes the institution of monarchy and his family”. He urged the duke to have a “sense of consistency” if he continues to attack the monarchy.
Labour MP Rachael Maskell already has a bill going through Parliament which would give the monarch new powers to remove titles, or a committee of Parliament to determine that a title should be taken away. She previously said that her constituents made it clear to her that they wanted the Duke of York’s title to be removed.
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Employment minister Guy Opperman on Thursday urged “everyone to boycott Netflix” following the airing of the first three episodes of Harry and Meghan’s documentary on the streaming giant on Thursday.
“I don’t think it has a fundamental impact on the royal family. I certainly won’t be watching it. I would urge everyone to boycott Netflix and make sure that we actually focus on the things that matter,” he told BBC’s Question Time.
Downing Street dismissed Mr Opperman’s call, however. A No 10 spokesman did not repeat the employment minister’s claim Harry and Megan are “utterly irrelevant to this country”.
Instead he said: “I would never comment on royal matters and I have got nothing for you specifically on this documentary. These are matters for the palace.”
On the call for a boycott, the spokesman said “it’s a matter for the public what channels they want to watch”.
Asked if Rishi Sunak still has his Netflix account, the official replied: “I honestly don’t know.”
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