Prince Harry never wanted to hurt his grandparents with the Oprah interview
If there was a fissure within the Royal family, it certainly wasn t between Harry and Philip, who shared an unshakeable bond
10 April 2021 • 4:11pm
Princes Harry and Philip, pictured here at the Rugby World Cup in 2015, were united by their passion for the military
Credit: Getty
In the last month or so, much has been made about the decision to broadcast the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s interview with Oprah Winfrey, as the Duke of Edinburgh lay ill in hospital. But it was another interview, given by Prince Harry to James Corden a few days before, that revealed the most truth about the close relationship between Prince Philip and his grandson.
It later came to light that was the result of pressure from the government. Various cabinet ministers were quick to leap to the defence of monuments to slavers. When Colston’s statue fell, home secretary Priti Patel denounced the action as “utterly disgraceful” while Boris Johnson argued Black Lives Matter had been “subverted by thuggery”.
In July it was revealed that culture secretary Oliver Dowden had been in contact with the Museum of the Home to demand Geffrye’s statue stayed up irrespective of the will of the public, bolstering his argument with the barely hidden threat that the museum was “a government-funded organisation”.
Readers letters
Nurses hold a meeting on a Covid-19 ward
- Credit: PA
Poetic tribute to our NHS staff
Rose Sharpstone, Vienna Close, Ilford, writes:
Anatomy Lesson
These are the arms that turn over and lift
These are the feet that pace the floor that wheel the bed through the door
These are the ears that listen to the chest
These are the eyes that read the notes to decide what’s best
These are the nostrils at risk and so brave, that belong to the nurse determined to save
These are the knees that bend and implore their God that Covid should be no more
A friendly ear Earlier this month the Prime Minister announced a third national lockdown. Although necessary, these measures mean many of our veterans will be facing the next several weeks or months completely alone. And while the vaccine rollout out across the country provides some hope, social isolation and loneliness poses a real threat to our elderly this winter, among them many former RAF personnel and their partners. To help combat this, last year the RAF Benevolent Fund introduced a weekly Check and Chat service to support members of the RAF Family experiencing loneliness. I speak to one gentleman every Tuesday. He lives alone and spent much of 2020 totally isolated, and for him, this service truly is a lifeline. We chat about what he’s been up to, what he’s cooking for tea, to his time in the RAF and often I’m the only person he will speak to for days.
Ray Emery says some joggers in Raphael Park are not observing social distancing
- Credit: Ken Mears
Joggers ignoring social distancing
Is it safe to mix walkers and joggers together in Raphael Park?
I walk with my wife there and the footpaths are quite narrow, social distancing is possible.
However the joggers do not think social distancing is applicable to them and rush past almost brushing shoulders and exhaling huge plumes of breath over everybody.
They do not obey the 1 metre + rule and are becoming something of a menace to the other park users who for the most part are obeying the rules for public safety.