December 25, 2024

Prince William, King Charles Not Expected to Comment on Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Netflix Series

William #William

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 13: King Charles III and Prince William, Prince of Wales during the National Service Of Remembrance at The Cenotaph on November 13, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage)

Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince William and King Charles

Prince William and King Charles’ response to the latest claims in Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s Netflix docuseries is to quietly carry on.

Neither Buckingham Palace, where Charles’ office is based, or Kensington Palace, where Prince William has his office, are expected to comment on the claims made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in the second volume of Harry & Meghan, released Thursday.

Instead, the royals are focused on gathering together for Royal Carols: Together At Christmas, which takes place at Westminster Abbey on Thursday evening and will later be broadcast on Christmas Eve.

Organized by Kate Middleton, 40, with the support of the Royal Foundation, the event will see King Charles III, 74, and wife Queen Camilla, 75, come together with the Prince and Princess of Wales, other members of the royal family, charity staff, community volunteers, frontline workers, and military personnel to “celebrate the joy that human connection can bring,” Buckingham Palace said in a Dec. 6 release.

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Queen Elizabeth II ‘s grandchildren (L-R) Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex (L) and Britain’s Prince William, Prince of Wales (R) arrive to hold a vigil around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, in Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster in London on September 17, 2022, ahead of her funeral on Monday. – Queen Elizabeth II will lie in state in Westminster Hall inside the Palace of Westminster, until 0530 GMT on September 19, a few hours before her funeral, with huge queues expected to file past her coffin to pay their respects. (Photo by Aaron Chown / POOL / AFP) (Photo by AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

AARON CHOWN/POOL/AFP via Getty Prince William and Prince Harry

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“This year’s carol service is dedicated to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the values Her Majesty demonstrated throughout her life, including duty, empathy, faith, service, kindness, compassion and support for others,” it added.

Earlier, Charles and Camilla will visit a community kitchen in London dedicated to helping feed low-income families across the British capital, and which trains disadvantaged students for employment in the hospitality sector.

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On Thursday, Harry spoke out about his treatment by the royal family after he and Meghan decided to step back front line royal duties in January 2020.

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Opening up about the Sandringham Summit on Jan. 13, 2020 — five days after Meghan and Harry released their statement — Harry revealed that he was met by anger from William when he suggested that he and Meghan become “Half in, half out” royals, who “have our own jobs but also work in support of the Queen.”

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Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry walk through a trench during the commemorations for the 100th anniversary

Samir Hussein/WireImage Prince Harry and Prince William

“It became very clear very quickly that that goal was not up for discussion or debate,” said Harry about the approximately 90-minute meet with Queen Elizabeth, the then-Prince Charles and William at the monarch’s country estate in Norfolk to “talk things through”

“It was terrifying to have my brother scream and shout at me, and my father say things that simply weren’t true and my grandmother quietly sit there and sort of take it all in,” he added.

According to Prince Harry, the meeting “finished without any solidified action plan.”

“I think from their perspective, they had to believe that it was more about us and maybe the issues that we had,” the Duke of Sussex said.

“The saddest part of it was this wedge created between myself and my brother, so that he’s now on the institution’s side,” he continued. “Part of that I get, I understand, right, that’s his inheritance. So to some extent, it’s already ingrained in him that part of his responsibility is the survivability and continuation of this institution.”

LONDON, ENGLAND – JUNE 03: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex depart after the National Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral on June 03, 2022 in London, England. The Platinum Jubilee of Elizabeth II is being celebrated from June 2 to June 5, 2022, in the UK and Commonwealth to mark the 70th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. (Photo by Samir Hussein/WireImage,)

Samir Hussein/WireImage Meghan Markle and Prince Harry attending the Service of Thanksgiving for the Queen’s Jubilee on June 3.

At the start of the Netflix series, a title card states, “Members of the Royal Family declined to comment on the content within the series.” A Netflix source also told PEOPLE that communications offices for King Charles and Prince William were contacted in advance and given the right to reply to claims within the series.

However, a source told PEOPLE that neither members of the family nor Buckingham Palace or Prince William’s office at Kensington Palace were approached for comment on the content of the series. A royal source added that Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace did receive an email claiming to be from a third-party production company through an unknown organization’s email address. When they contacted Archewell and Netflix to verify the source, they received no response. The royal source also says the substance of the email did not address the entire series.

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WINDSOR, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 10: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on the long Walk at Windsor Castle on September 10, 2022 in Windsor, England. Crowds have gathered and tributes left at the gates of Windsor Castle to Queen Elizabeth II, who died at Balmoral Castle on 8 September, 2022. (Photo by Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Chris Jackson – WPA Pool/Getty Kate Middleton, Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle

Following Meghan and Prince Harry’s March 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey — where the couple shared that Meghan had suicidal thoughts and there had been comments made about Archie’s skin color before he was born — the palace released a short, 61-word statement on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II.

“The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” Buckingham Palace said. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.” (The interview and statement were released before the couple welcomed daughter Lilibet into the family.)

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