Royal Experts Are Absolutely Fuming About Prince Harry's Claims About The Queen

Prince Harry stirred up speculation and outrage during his recent trip to the Invictus Games for reasons that had nothing to do with the sporting events. On his way there, he and Meghan Markle quietly met with Queen Elizabeth for a catch-up session that seemed to hint at a family reconciliation. Then, during an interview with Hoda Kotb for NBC's Today, the prince made a surprising statement about his grandmother that begged another question: Did he just doom any hopes for peace with the palace?

After assuring Kotb that the queen is in "great form" and that he made her laugh over their cup of tea, Harry added, "I'm making sure she's protected and has the right people around her." That sent the social media world into a tizzy as many wondered what could Harry — who stepped back from his royal duties two years ago — possibly do to protect his grandmother? And from what?

Not surprisingly, one of the first shots fired at Harry came from Piers Morgan. The controversial journalist has been critical of the Sussexes for years, once accusing them of "yapping, whining, preaching and trashing [their] family" in a piece for the Daily Mail. This time around, he questioned how the prince could possibly "protect" his grandmother. "By quitting Britain & moving 6000 miles away?" he tweeted. "By trashing her family & institution on TV? By snubbing Prince Philip's memorial? By writing a book that will ruin her Platinum Jubilee?"

Royal experts had a lot to say on the topic. On the program "GB News" (via Twitter), royals author Robert Jobson remarked, "I think for him to waltz in, leaving his Netflix crew at the door and talk about protecting his grandmother is slightly bizarre."

Meanwhile, royal biographer Angela Levin wrote a scathing piece for The Sun, slamming the Sussexes and saying, "Everything is about money for them, and the new Today interview is just the latest attempt to drum up interest in their celebrity Californian lives." She went on to declare that Harry and Meghan "should be banned" from attending Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee celebration in June. 

The British talk show "This Morning" had a lively debate on the topic. Although one host allowed that "we may be reading too much into it," another blasted Harry for tossing out "a throw-away line which explodes because they are who they are and they're talking about a family that is so important," (via Daily Star).

In an early Thursday edition of the Daily Mail, columnist Stephen Glover accused Harry of ruining the queen's 96th birthday with his implication that Her Majesty isn't receiving excellent care. "Courtiers aside, several members of the queen's family will feel put out," he wrote. "Foremost among them may be Prince Charles and Prince William. ...The truth is that, as he praised the queen and advertised his love for her, Harry tossed another hand grenade into the royal family to follow those that have gone before."

Royal watchers on social media were also quick to condemn Prince Harry's statement. "Prince Harry wants to 'protect' Queen and ensure [the] 'right people' are around her," tweeted one. "How kind. The poor old dear has muddled through for the past 70 years but now everything will be fine because Harry has come to the rescue."

Philanthropist and entrepreneur John Caudwell tweeted, "He is now saying he wants to PROTECT the #Queen by surrounding her with the 'right people'. Surely, the people she most needs protecting from these days are Harry himself and his wife Meghan." He added a short video of himself saying, "Really?!"

Many armchair critics were even more nasty than the tabloids. One said, "Please!! The dimwit couldn't protect a chocolate bar, unless there was a golden ticket in it!" Another bluntly snapped, "What a crock! Protect my a**, his brother and his father and her trusted aides are taking care of her, certainly not you. He makes me just gag!"

Still others pointed out that the Sussexes moved to California because the constant attacks from the British media were threatening their mental health (via The Washington Post). If Harry couldn't protect his own wife from the safety of the palace, they asked, how could he claim to be protecting the queen now, as a private citizen?

For all the Harry-bashing over his wish to protect his grandmother, there are still some fans left in his corner. Sean O'Grady, a columnist for The Independent wrote, "What you might call the usual suspects are hyperventilating because this youngish man has the temerity to visit his grandmother... The nation's army of Harry Haters want nothing more than the queen to 'snub' him, but, she can't and she won't."

A supporter on Twitter referenced the scandal involving Prince Andrew, who recently settled a sexual assault lawsuit for a seven-figure sum. "Am I the only one who doesn't see anything wrong with what Prince Harry said?" she wrote. "If my uncle was a sex pest, who managed to fleece my gran for £12m, I'd want to protect her too."

Yet another cheered, "It's Prince Harry's Grandma. I would expect him to support her. He may not like all her decisions but you can still support Granny. You go Prince Harry."

For all the drama about Harry's remark, it seems unlikely that this will cause too much tension between the queen and her grandson. In his interview with Today, Harry said that he appreciates his grandmother's sense of humor, and in return, she tells him things "that she can't talk about with anybody else" (via the Daily Mail). Reportedly, Queen Elizabeth has also invited Harry and Meghan to stand with the royals on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during her Platinum Jubilee celebration in June.