Piers Morgan says it is ‘time to stand up for our Queen’ in ongoing Harry and Meghan interview fallout

The former GMB host has accused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of trying to ‘to smear, defame and trash’ the royal family

(Getty/Frazer Harrison /Staff)

Piers Morgan has said it is “time to stand up for our Queen” against what he claims is “a very deliberate and malicious campaign being perpetrated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.”

A week after departing Good Morning Britain and refusing to apologise for his comments about Harry and Meghan following their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey, Morgan has accused the couple of trying to “smear” the royal family as “a bunch of heartless racists”.

Writing on Twitter on Tuesday night, the former Good Morning Britain host said: “There’s a very deliberate & malicious campaign being perpetrated by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to smear, defame and trash Britain, our Monarchy & the Royal Family as a bunch of heartless racists.

“It’s disgusting. Time to stand up for our Queen,” he added.

He continued with a second tweet, saying: “Memo to all high-profile, insufferably woke, unctuously virtue-signalling, shamefully race-baiting hypocrites: I’m watching, and I will retaliate.”

Morgan’s tweet is the latest development in the ongoing fallout after Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in which the couple said that an unnamed member of the royal family - although not the Queen or Prince Philip - had expressed “concerns” over their unborn baby’s skin colour.

The duchess also described having suicidal thoughts during her time living in the UK.

Read more:

• Prince William speaks to Harry for first time since Oprah interview but talks ‘unproductive’
• Kate Middleton ‘mortified’ by Meghan Markle telling Oprah she made her cry
• Kate Middleton can’t vote, and other everyday things she’s not allowed to do 

The day after the interview aired, Morgan told GMB viewers that he “didn’t believe a word” of Morgan’s claims about feeling suicidal, prompting more than 41,000 complaints to Ofcom including one from the duchess of Sussex herself.

In a post on Instagram last Friday, after leaving his hosting role, Morgan described himself as “the latest ‘victim’ of the cancel culture that is permeating our country, every minute, of every hour, of everyday. Though of course, I consider myself to be neither a victim, nor actually cancelled.”

When asked about the claims last week, Prince William said: “We are very much not a racist family”.

Buckingham Palace also issued a rare statement on behalf of the Queen, which said the family was “saddened” about Harry and Meghan’s experiences and that the issue of race was “concerning” and would be “addressed by the family privately.”

The Independent has contacted the duke and duchess of Sussex for comment.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.