Monarchy has faced worse and survived

IT’S BEEN around since 927. It’s survived the Norman Conquests, the Hundred Years’ War, Oliver Cromwell, the Spanish Armada, Napoleon, the Kaiser, Wallis Simpson and Hitler.

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It will survive the latest American divorcee seemingly intent on rocking it to the core, Meghan Markle, but it’s going to take skill – and also a dash of the Generation Game.

Fresh from retiring from public life so they could have space and supposedly the privacy they craved, Prince Harry and Meghan decided to put their dirty laundry on a hot wash and triple spin in the global launderette that was the Oprah Winfrey interview. What possessed them, we shall never know. But, be in no doubt about the intent as a series of missiles were fired at the monarchy as if they were Exocet missiles.

As it was so carefully constructed and featured every hot button aspect of today’s culture wars, you have to think it was by design not accident that it has left the monarchy reeling – but also done considerable harm to the image of GB plc around the world. Just recall what was high lighted: allegations of casual but harmful racism, bullying, a total absence of empathy when confronted with a young woman’s pleas for support and a seeming total inability to emote.

While that is not to demean the gravity of the claims, where was the rigorous questioning from Oprah,