PRINCE Philip was worried about Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s “preoccupation with their own problems” as he ailed in a hospital bed just weeks before his death, his pal has claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex pressed on with their bombshell tell-all chat with Oprah Winfrey in March despite being urged to postpone it as the frail Duke of Edinburgh remained in St Bartholomew’s, London.
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Meghan and Harry had pre-recorded their interview with the US chat-show host only hours after Philip went into hospital before its scheduled UK release on March 8.
Prince Philip – who stood by the Queen’s side for more than seven decades – had been taken to hospital on February 16, and after two weeks moved to another following a heart procedure.
Pressure mounted on the couple, CBS and ITV to delay airing the chat – but advice was dismissed and the broadcast went ahead.
According to Philip’s friend and biographer Gyles Brandreth, the Duke – who was one of the hardest working royals – was “unconcerned” by this, royal historian Robert Lacey claims in the Times.
“What did worry him, said Brandreth, was “the couple’s preoccupation with their own problems”,” Mr Lacey said.
According to Mr Lacey, Mr Brandreth was told by “someone close to Philip” that the Duke thought the couple’s interview with Oprah was “madness” and that “no good would come of it”.
Less than a month after the interview aired, Prince Philip – who carried out thousands of royal engagements in his lifetime – died on April 9 at the age of 99 at Windsor Castle.
During the conversation with Oprah, the couple made a series of shocking allegations – most damaging of all that an unnamed member of the Royal Family had made a racist comment about the colour of son Archie’s skin.
The Duchess also said she was prevented from seeking mental health support when she was in crisis.
She even said she felt suicidal while pregnant with Archie.
Harry said his relationship with his brother was “space” and claimed his family were “trapped” by their royal duties.
And he said his father Charles stopped taking his calls after Megxit and he was financially cut off by the Royal Family last year.
It sent shockwaves through the Firm, with family members allegedly feeling “disappointed” and “let down” by the couple.
It comes after The Celeb Report revealed Prince Harry agreed to the Oprah chat within 24 hours of being stripped of his military titles in February’s final Megxit deal.
Meanwhile, Mr Lacey has claimed Prince William and Kate Middleton did not have a sit-down chat with Harry after Prince Philip’s funeral.
Mr Lacey, a historical consultant for Netflix’s The Crown, says the Cambridges feared their conversations would be leaked as family anger “ran deep” during the emotional service at Windsor in April.
And a Hollywood screenwriter has claimed Meghan “doesn’t cope well with rejection” and is “nice and smiley” until someone “steps in her way”.
The accusation of the Duchess of Sussexes’ alleged “remorseless” nature comes after it was revealed she cut her visit to a Fijian market short for being reportedly snubbed by the UN years earlier.
