MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have “done nothing but seek publicity” since leaving the UK, a former Palace aid has claimed.
Despite asking for privacy and sensationally stepping down as senior royals in 2020, the Sussexes haven’t attempted to step away from the public eye, it’s been said.
Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest updates
Dickie Arbiter, the Queen’s former press spokesman has suggested that Meghan and Harry have done nothing but seek publicity since they stepped down from the Royal Family.
The pair have constantly tried to stay in the public eye, despite their pleas for privacy while living in the UK.
But it’s now time for them to “put up and shut up,” he said.
The former aide told the Sun Online: “They left this country because they wanted privacy.
“They wanted away from the publicity. And since they left this country, the UK, they’ve done nothing but seek publicity.
“Now they are saying Harry is taking five months paternity leave and hopefully he will stay quiet in those five months.
“Quite frankly, to put it simply they need to put up and shut up.”
This follows a sensational war of words that has erupted between Harry and Meghan Markle, the Palace and the broadcaster.
Prince Harry today threatened legal action against the BBC over claims he didn’t ask the Queen to name his baby daughter Lilibet.
The row was started when a Palace source told the BBC the Sussexes “never asked” Her Majesty about using her childhood nickname.
Harry then hit back just 90 minutes later saying his grandmother was “supportive” of his choice of name and the couple wouldn’t have used it if this wasn’t the case.
The battle has now intensified after Harry and Meghan threatened the BBC with legal action through law firm Schillings.
The threat came just hours after he attempted to clear the drama up in a statement issued through spokesperson Omid Scobie.
It read: “The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called.
“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honor.
“Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”
The unprecedented briefing war was sparked when the BBC published a story claiming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex had not asked the Queen about using the name Lilibet.
Pals of the couple have been quick to weigh in – with one quoting friends who confirmed Harry spoke to “close family” ahead of the announcement.
‘NO WARNING’
Sources had previously suggested Palace officials were left out of the loop – and only found out at 5pm along with the rest of the world.
It wasn’t until 6.34pm – over an hour-and-a-half after Meghan and Harry’s announcement – that the Royal Family released a well-wishing statement about the good news.
The row between Harry and the BBC comes just weeks after he slammed the broadcaster over its Panorama interview with Princess Diana.
A damning report by Lord Dyson found Martin Bashir lied to trick Diana into taking part in the bombshell 1995 chat after her split from Prince Charles.
Harry claimed the “culture of exploitation” took his mother’s life and said the probe is the “first step towards justice and truth.”
Angela Levin said this week that Meghan and Harry’s use of the “private” name was “rude” and even “demeaning” towards the Queen.
She told Good Morning Britain: “I don’t think it’s a good idea – I think it’s quite rude to Her Majesty Her Queen.
“It was a very private nickname from her husband who hasn’t been dead for very long.
“Prince Charles would never dream of calling his mother Lilibet.”
She added: “It was a special name, I think it’s quite demeaning, I really believe that.”
