EXCLUSIVE: Grim-faced Prince William emerges hours after Meghan Markle's friend revealed his 'unproductive phone call with Harry': Gayle King tells US viewers couple told her they want royals to speak out against 'racist press' and claim they can prove everything
- But presenter, who attended Meghan's baby shower in 2019, claims conversations were 'not productive'
- She says Sussexes want 'royals to intervene' over 'false stories' in British Press which have 'a racial slant'
- Ms King gives no examples of stories - and it comes after Mail complains to CBS for doctoring headlinesPrince William was photographed looking glum while driving in London today after Meghan Markle's friend Gayle King revealed Prince Harry had spoken to him and their father Charles for the first time following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's interview with Oprah Winfrey.
The CBS presenter, who attended Meghan's $500,000 baby shower in 2019, said she spoke to the Sussexes who told her that Harry had talked to the Duke of Cambridge and Prince of Wales over the weekend.
But she said the conversations were 'not productive' and the Sussexes were keen for the 'royals to intervene and tell the Press to stop with the unfair, inaccurate, false stories that definitely have a racial slant'.
Ms King, 66, who is also close friends with Oprah, failed to give any examples of the stories she was referring to, but added that Meghan has 'documents to back up everything that she said on Oprah's interview'.
If Ms King is correct about the details of the chat, William and Charles are likely to be appalled at it being leaked to a US media personality - with royal experts pointing out that senior royals are unlikely to want to talk to the Sussexes if they just pass on information to a friend who then reveals it in the American media.
She told CBS This Morning: 'Well I'm not trying to break news, but I did actually call them to see how they were feeling, and it's true, Harry has talked to his brother and he has talked to his father too. The word I was given was that those conversations were not productive. But they are glad that they have at least started a conversation.
'And I think what is still upsetting to them is the palace keep saying they want to work it out privately, but yet, they believe these false stories are coming out that are very disparaging against Meghan, still. No one in the Royal Family has talked to Meghan yet, at this particular time. And I think it's frustrating for them to see that it's a racial conversation about the Royal Family when all they wanted all along was for the royals to intervene and tell the Press to stop with the unfair, inaccurate, false stories that definitely have a racial slant.
What did Gayle King say on CBS This Morning?
Last Thursday, William appeared furious as he defended the Royal Family while alongside his wife Kate, saying it was 'very much not a racist family' while on a trip to a school in Stratford, East London, and said ominously of Harry: 'I haven't spoken to him yet but I will do.'
Meanwhile Buckingham Palace has instructed an external law firm to assist with its investigation into bullying allegations made against Harry and Meghan, with lawyers for the couple denying any wrongdoing.
Ms King's comments came on the same day that Harry's grandfather Prince Philip, 99, was reunited with the Queen at Windsor Castle after leaving King Edward VII's Hospital in London following a 28 day-stay for treatment.
During the brothers' discussion over the weekend, once-inseparable William and Harry could have discussed the unveiling of a statue for their mother Princess Diana which is scheduled for Kensington Palace in July.
The brothers are set to meet face-to-face at the event in London for the first time since the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey last March, which was Harry and Meghan's last event as senior royals.
CBS has been at the centre of the Oprah interview, after This Morning showed a number of preview clips before the chat itself went out on the channel on March 7 and was then broadcast in Britain on ITV the following night.
The Queen's former press secretary Dickie Arbiter said today: 'Seems like the narrative is being driven by Gayle King of CBS. I don't think a continual play on American TV is quite what the Queen had in mind. Time for a cooling off period - best for everyone to put up and shut up.'
Royal biographer Robert Jobson, whose new book Prince Philip's Century is out next month, told MailOnline: 'The Royal Family do not like providing a running commentary on the their personal lives and personal relationships.
'So it's clearly not very helpful that every time there has been a development, in this case William talking to his brother, that it is immediately broadcast on Harry and Meghan's adopted pet US network CBS via the host, Meghan's friend Gayle King.
'I really cannot see how there will be any progress in building bridges and rebuilding broken relationships if when Prince William, or the Queen or Prince Charles telephones, the conversations they have with Harry are passed on to CBS and then broadcast to the world. That's not how the Royal Family works. There has to be trust and discretion.'
Prince William is pictured driving in London today after it was revealed he had spoken to Harry following the Oprah interview
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in conversation with Oprah Winfrey in an interview first aired on CBS on March 7
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visit a vaccination pop-up centre at Finsbury Park Mosque in North London today
Prince Philip leaves King Edward VII's Hospital in London this morning following 28 days in hospital for treatment
Ms King also said today: 'The bullying thing was raised in 2018 and now there's an ongoing investigation about bullying from Meghan Markle, when anyone who has worked with her will tell you exactly who she is. 'You know, she's really a very sweet, caring person. And as I say, Meghan has documents to back up everything that she said on Oprah's interview. Everything.'
Ms King also said: 'The family has to acknowledge that there are issues. Right now, no one has acknowledged, you know, Houston we have a problem here. That's really all they want. They want a conversation, they both want a conversation.
MailOnline's owner Associated Newspapers has complained to CBS for doctoring headlines and taking them out of context during a section of the Oprah interview designed to illustrate racist coverage of Meghan by the Press.
Reacting to the comments by Ms King, royal biographer Angela Levin added: 'That's why it's not a good idea to pass on any information to them including details about alleged bullying because it will be passed on to a friend and reach social media in the blink of an eye. Their sense of entitlement is extraordinary. They can't bear to be out of the spotlight.'
She continued: 'The fact that Harry and Meghan say the talk with William was 'unproductive' makes me believe that Harry and Meghan aren't interested in compromising or working hard to mend the rift. Otherwise they wouldn't use such a negative, unpleasant word.'
ITV royal correspondent Chris Ship added: 'Clearly, Gayle King would not have shared these comments with millions of viewers without Meghan's permission, so this marks a significant new approach.
'Private family dissuasions will now be made public if Meghan wants it out there. She has plenty of people who can do it for her.'
And Daily Mail diary editor Richard Eden tweeted: 'This is extraordinary. Are we going to have a running commentary for years to come from Harry and Meghan's friends on their relations with the Royal Family? If so, the royals will be wary of speaking to them.'
It comes as Buckingham Palace instructed an external law firm to assist with its investigation into bullying allegations made against the Duchess.
Royal aides announced earlier this month that past and present employees of Meghan and Harry would be invited to speak in confidence about their experiences, after it was alleged she drove out two personal assistants and staff were 'humiliated' on several occasions.
Now it is understood an outside legal company will help Buckingham Palace's human resources team as it examines the circumstance of the allegations, first reported by the Times newspaper.
According to other reports, the Sussexes are not expected to be asked to contribute to the review, but the duchess has written to the palace asking for any documents, emails or texts relating to the allegations against her.
Lawyers for the duchess have denied the bullying allegations. Harry was also accused of bullying, with the Times reporting earlier this month that a member of staff told a colleague the couple were 'outrageous bullies'.
When the bullying allegations were first made, Buckingham Palace said in a statement it was 'very concerned' about them, and stressed the Royal Household 'does not and will not tolerate bullying or harassment in the workplace'.
It added: 'Accordingly, our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the Household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned.'
The investigation was launched after the Times reported that Jason Knauf, the Sussexes' then communications secretary, made a bullying complaint in October 2018 in an apparent attempt to force Buckingham Palace to protect staff.
A source told the newspaper that Harry begged his senior aide not to take the matter further, but it also reported that lawyers for the duke and duchess deny the meeting took place and that Harry would not have interfered with staff matters.
Mr Knauf reportedly sent an email outlining the duchess's alleged actions to Simon Case, the Duke of Cambridge's then private secretary and now the cabinet secretary, after conversations with Samantha Carruthers, the head of human resources.
Prince William, Charles, Harry, Camilla, Kate and Meghan follow the Queen at Westminster Abbey on March 9, 2020
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visit School 21 in Stratford, East London, on March 11 after schools reopen in England
Gayle King, who is close friends with Oprah and Meghan, revealed on CBS This Morning that Harry had spoken to William
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: 'Our commitment to look into the circumstances around allegations from former staff of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is being taken forward but we will not be providing a public commentary on it.'
A spokesman for the Sussexes declined to comment. Soon after the bullying allegations were made, the monarchy was left reeling after Harry and Meghan's interview with Oprah, in which they made a string of allegations, including accusing a member of the royal family of making a racist comment about their son Archie.
Last Friday, the Daily Mail reported that the rift between William and Harry was so deep that the brothers had not even been in touch to discuss the unveiling of their mother's statue this summer.
The event is being organised by a steering committee, including Princess Diana's sister and one of her closest friends.
But the 'sad truth' is that the once inseparable brothers haven't personally talked about it for months, despite the unveiling being scheduled for July, a source said.
The Mail revealed in January that William and Harry both intended to be at the long-awaited event on July 1, which would have been Diana's 60th birthday.
That is still the case despite the deep anguish and anger caused by Harry and Meghan's explosive Oprah Winfrey interview.
However, the California-based prince may be somewhat dependent on when his wife, who is pregnant with their second child, gives birth, as well as international travel restrictions due to Covid.
One source said: 'It's a very sad situation but the relationship is so strained that they haven't even been able to pick up the phone to discuss matters. That's the sad truth.'
The brothers announced in 2017, ahead of the 20th anniversary of their mother's tragic death in a Paris car crash, that they planned to install a statue in her memory in the gardens of Kensington Palace, her London home.
They set up the Diana, Princess of Wales, statue committee to privately raise funds for the monument. Its chairman is Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, a trusted friend and former private secretary to the princes.
Key members include Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, as well as Julia Samuel, a close friend of Diana, and godmother to Prince George.
The brothers selected artist Ian Rank-Broadley, whose portrait of the Queen appears on all UK coins, to create the statue and hoped to unveil it before the end of 2017.
But their disintegrating relationship, following the formal dismantling of their joint household and charitable foundation, and Harry's decision to move out of Kensington Palace to Windsor with Meghan, 39, delayed the plans.
Prince Charles visits Skipton House in London last Tuesday to meet NHS and MoD staff involved in the vaccine rollout
The Queen with Harry and Meghan at the Queen's Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace in June 2018
Last August Kensington Palace said the statue would be unveiled in the Sunken Garden this year.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle DITCH the Sussex Royal monogram on their stationery: New Archewell logo is revealed on letter sent by the Duchess to a London school she visited last year
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have replaced their Sussex Royal monogram on their stationery with their Archewell logo.
The Duke, 36, and Duchess of Sussex , 39,were met with criticism last year after they continued to use their official cypher, which features their initials H and M intertwined with a crown on top, after stepping back from royal duty.
However the pair have started using the logo for their new foundation Archewell on recent letters instead, including for a note penned by the Duchess to a London school she visited last year and shared for International Women's Day.
Robert Clack School in London shared a letter penned by Meghan, which features the Archewell logo as the masthead
The changes comes after the couple were told they could not continue with 'the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service' and gave an explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey about their time in the royal family .
Last week, the Duchess wrote a heartfelt letter to the students of the Robert Clack Upper School, urging them to 'learn about the trailblazing women who came before us.'
The Duke and Duchess faced criticism last year as they continued to use their royal monogram despite having stepped back from public duty
In a note which was shared on Twitter by the organisation, Meghan said she looked back on her visit to the Dagenham school with 'such fond memories', writing: 'I think of you all frequently, especially recognising how difficult it's been for students and families during the past year.'
'This International Women's Day, in collaboration with the work of our non-profit organisation, Archewell Foundation, we are encouraging everybody to participate in real acts of compassion for the women in their lives and their community.
'One suggestion we have is to take a moment to learn about the trailblazing women who came before us.'
Sources insist that has never been in doubt despite the Sussexes's acrimonious decision to quit as working royals and move to the US last year.
But there is immense sadness that the project in memory of their mother has not yet managed to bring the brothers closer.
In the interview with Oprah, Harry, 36, said: 'The relationship is 'space' at the moment. Time heals all things, hopefully.'
Sources wonder if Harry and William will get to see each other to resolve their differences before the unveiling.
One said: 'Everyone knows this is really important to both of the dukes. It's only hoped bridges can be built before the day.'
Meanwhile a poll last week found public opinion of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex is the worst it has ever been.
In Oprah's interview, Harry and Meghan made bombshell allegations of racist attitudes in the Royal Family. Meghan also claimed a lack of support left her feeling suicidal.
But the YouGov poll suggests it did not go down well with the public – with attitudes towards Harry now being more negative than positive for the first time.
The mid-week survey of 1,664 Britons shows 45 per cent have a positive opinion of Harry but 48 per cent regard him negatively, giving a net score of -3, a drop of 15 points on the week before.
Only 31 per cent have a positive opinion of Meghan, while 58 per cent view her negatively, giving her a net rating of -27, a drop from -14.
But William and Kate had net ratings of +60 and +57 respectively, a slight drop from last week. Most 18 to 24-year-olds approved of Meghan (55 per cent) and Harry (59 per cent).
But 83 per cent of people aged over 65 thought negatively of Meghan and 69 per cent disliked Harry.
Meanwhile, the Duke of Edinburgh has been reunited with the Queen today after leaving hospital following a month-long stay receiving treatment.
Philip, 99, is said to be in good spirits after spending 28 nights as an in-patient - his longest ever stay.
He was initially receiving care for an infection then underwent heart surgery for a pre-existing condition.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement: 'The Duke of Edinburgh has today been discharged from King Edward VII's Hospital and has returned to Windsor Castle, following treatment for an infection and a successful procedure for a pre-existing condition.
'His Royal Highness wishes to thank all the medical staff who looked after him at both King Edward VII's Hospital and St Bartholomew's Hospital, and everyone who has sent their good wishes.'
Philip was pushed in a wheelchair to a waiting car when he left the private hospital in London this morning, after first being admitted on February 16.
The duke was partially obscured by a screen erected at the rear of the hospital but a man appeared to help him into the chauffeur-driven saloon.
Wearing a white shirt and yellow jumper, Philip turned to look at the large media presence outside King Edward VII's as the car pulled away, and he was driven to Windsor.
He was initially taken to King Edward VII's Hospital by car a month ago after feeling unwell at Windsor.
But two weeks later was moved to St Bartholomew's Hospital in the City of London by ambulance where he had a successful procedure on a pre-existing heart condition on March 3, just three months before his 100th birthday.
A few days later he was transferred back to King Edward's to recuperate and to continue his treatment. Throughout his time in hospital the royal family continued with their official duties.
Philip was visited just once on February 20 by his eldest son, the Prince of Wales, who made a 200-mile round trip from his Gloucestershire home and stayed for around 30 minutes.
But the Earl of Wessex revealed he had been speaking to his father by phone and when the duke was into his second week of treatment Edward said Philip was 'looking forward to getting out' and the family were keeping their 'fingers crossed'.
Concern had been heightened for the duke because of his advanced age and amid troubled times for the royals.
The monarchy was plunged into crisis while Philip was in hospital following the shocking allegations of racism made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their interview with Oprah. Harry and Meghan faced calls to postpone the interview because Philip was unwell.
ITV is forced to remove headlines which were doctored to smear the UK press as racist in the Oprah Winfrey interview with Harry and Meghan but US channel CBS refuses to act
By Mark Hookham and Jonathan Bucks For The Mail On Sunday
ITV was last night forced to edit part of Oprah Winfrey's explosive interview with the Sussexes after it was revealed that it included misleading and distorted headlines which portrayed British press coverage of the couple as racist.
Headlines that were flashed on the screen during the controversial interview with the US chat show host were cynically manipulated to back up the couple's assertion that they were the victims of bigoted coverage.
Associated Newspapers, the publisher of The Mail on Sunday, Daily Mail and MailOnline, complained to Viacom CBS – the US TV giant which aired last week's two-hour programme – about 'the deliberate distortion and doctoring of newspaper headlines'.
It also demanded that ITV remove the 'misleading and inaccurate headlines' from the programme, which remains available on its ITV Hub catch-up service. ITV said it would remove four of the misleading headlines but not all of them.
ITV was last night forced to edit part of Oprah Winfrey's explosive interview with the Sussexes after it was revealed that it included misleading and distorted headlines which portrayed British press coverage of the couple as racist. Pictured: Analysis of the headlines
During the interview, which was watched by 11.1 million viewers in the UK and 17.1 million in the US, Ms Winfrey said Meghan had been the victim of racism by the British press.
'There were undeniable racist overtones,' she said. 'There was constant criticism, blatant sexist and racist remarks by British tabloids.'
To illustrate the point, viewers were presented with montages of supposedly bigoted headlines. However, analysis showed 11 of more than 30 headlines were from American and Australian publications, including tawdry gossip magazines.
In a complaint to CBS on Friday, Liz Hartley, editorial legal director at Associated Newspapers, said: 'Many of the headlines have been either taken out of context or deliberately edited and displayed as supporting evidence for the programme's claim that the Duchess of Sussex was subjected to racist coverage by the British press.'
She added: 'This editing was not made apparent to viewers and, as a result, this section of the programme is both seriously inaccurate and misleading.'
The programme makers seemingly felt the need to create the headlines in the absence of evidence to support the point they were trying to make about racism, Ms Hartley said, adding: 'It reflects very badly on them and does the debate on the vital subject of racism considerable harm.'
Headlines that were flashed on the screen during the controversial interview with the US chat show host were cynically manipulated to back up the couple's assertion that they were the victims of bigoted coverage
In a second letter sent last night, Ms Hartley said: 'It is hard to conceive of anything more socially inflammatory, or of more morally irresponsible journalism.'
The most egregious example involved a story published by The Mail on Sunday in January 2018 which revealed how the girlfriend of the then Ukip leader Henry Bolton had made racist remarks about Meghan.
Producers chose not to show the newspaper's headline about the 'Vile Racist Attack' but instead used a small part of a MailOnline headline which quoted one of the woman's vile messages – but omitted the rest of the headline.
'In doing so, it removed all context and inaccurately suggested that MailOnline made or agreed with the statement, which it plainly did not,' Ms Hartley said in her complaint.
Another example in the headline montages featured a supposed Guardian headline reporting on an incident when radio DJ Danny Baker posted a picture of a chimpanzee on Twitter after the Sussexes' son Archie was born.
The Guardian said it did not believe it ever headlined an article 'with the specific phrasing shown in the montage', and The Mail on Sunday has established that it came from an article published by the New York Post, a US tabloid.
Associated Newspapers, the publisher of The Mail on Sunday, Daily Mail and MailOnline, complained to Viacom CBS – the US TV giant which aired last week's two-hour programme – about 'the deliberate distortion and doctoring of newspaper headlines'
The programme also showed a headline from The Daily Telegraph that read: 'The real problem with Meghan Markle: she just doesn't speak our language.'
The second line of the headline, which was not shown, made clear the newspaper's sketch writer was not mocking her ethnicity, but her habit of what he later called 'hippie corporate management speak'.
Meanwhile, a front-page headline from the Daily Mail was also shown with the innocent word 'niggling' blanked out. Ms Hartley said the word 'carries no colonial or racist undertones' and by blanking it out viewers could reach 'a false and damaging conclusion that it was racist'.
During the interview (pictured), which was watched by 11.1 million viewers in the UK and 17.1 million in the US, Ms Winfrey said Meghan had been the victim of racism by the British press
An ITV spokesman said it would remove three manipulated Daily Mail, MailOnline and Mail on Sunday headlines, plus the headline wrongly attributed to the Guardian. However, the out-of-context Daily Telegraph headline and the misleading use of foreign tabloids will remain.
The spokesman said: 'Regarding the headlines The Mail on Sunday have drawn to our attention, we are now taking steps to edit these on the ITV Hub.' A source said it would examine any other complaints that were received.
Conservative MP Giles Watling, a member of the Commons Media Select Committee, last night described the broadcast as 'fake news' and demanded that ITV broadcast a disclaimer.
'This kind of distortion of the facts is utterly appalling,' said Mr Watling, a former actor.
'We should call it exactly what it is: fake news. What is really disturbing is that because of social media, these lies become true once they are repeated enough online.
'Any future broadcasts of this interview should come with a health warning for viewers. People need to know that what they are watching is not necessarily the truth and, in the use of newspaper headlines, a complete distortion of the facts.'
Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said: 'This is another example of a stage-managed and set-up interview. It is extremely sad that the facts have been manipulated to make these kinds of allegations.'
Broadcasting regulator Ofcom last week launched an investigation after TV presenter Piers Morgan dismissed the Duchess of Sussex's account of suffering suicidal thoughts and experiencing racism.
The watchdog received more than 41,000 complaints, including one from the Duchess herself. Toby Young, general secretary of the Free Speech Union, called on Ofcom to also investigate the doctored headlines controversy.
'Ofcom was very quick to open an investigation into Good Morning Britain because Piers Morgan questioned the truthfulness of Meghan's claims,' he said.
'It now looks very much as though Piers Morgan was quite right to raise those questions. Ofcom should be investigating ITV for disseminating this fake news, not Good Morning Britain for challenging it.'
Ms Winfrey's company, Harpo Productions, said: 'Prince Harry and Meghan shared in the interview their personal story. We stand by the broadcast in its entirety.'
CBS did not respond to a request for comment.
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