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(Picture: PA Wire)Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said on Monday that politicians shouldn’t wade into royal family rows following the storm over Harry and Meghan’s Netflix documentary.
His intervention comes after the Conservative MP Bob Seely proposed a new law to strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their royal titles.
But speaking on a phone-in on LBC, Sir Keir said: “I am genuinely loathe to wade in, politicians wading in in relation to the royal family.
“I think politicians are a bit too quick to express views.”
Mr Seely, the MP for the Isle of Wight, has accused Prince Harry of “attacking” the monarchy, calling it a “political issue”. He has said he could propose the short private member’s bill early next year in an attempt to amend the 1917 Titles Deprivation Act.
However, the Labour leader doubted it would win enough support in the Commons. “Let’s wait and see what the proposal is,” Sir Keir said. “I don’t know how many people Bob’s rallied round on this. But I’d be surprised to see it on the Order Paper anytime soon.”
Sir Keir added that he hadn’t watched the first three episodes of the six part series which aired last week, creating fresh tensions between Harry and Meghan and other senior members of the royal family.
He said: “I haven’t watched the Netflix show. I’ve been watching too much football in the last three or four weeks.”
The Labour leader also backed Gareth Southgate to remain as England manager following England’s quarter final exit against France on Saturday.
“I think he should stay,” he said. “I think he’s done a fantastic job with this team. What is built with this team is something very special.”
Meanwhile Russia's ambassador to Moscow said Britain's royal family had been recommended not to have any contacts with the Russian embassy in London, the Izvestia newspaper reported.
Asked by Izvestia if there had been any contacts with King Charles III, Russian ambassador Andrei Kelin said: "No, and I know that members of the royal family are advised not to maintain or enter into contact with the Russian embassy."
Buckingham Palace could not be immediately reached for comment.
