STANDING FIRM
Royal Family put on a united front in Commonwealth TV special hours before Meghan and Harry’s explosive Oprah interview
THE Royal Family has banded together in a TV special to mark Commonwealth Day, which will be screened just hours before Meg and Harry's Oprah bombshell.
William and Kate hail the heroics of front-line workers around the Commonwealth and Camilla talks about getting children reading.
👑 Read our Meghan and Harry live blog for the latest news...
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Teaser clips from the one-hour special screened tomorrow/today show Prince Charles blasting Covid-19 for "cruelly robbing countless people of their lives".
In a possible aside about Harry and Meg's exile to the USA he adds pandemic restrictions have denied us "the human connections which we so dearly cherish".
The Commonwealth Day special has been pre-recorded last week after the Westminster Abbey ceremony was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The Queen also appears in the show, donning an ensemble made by Royal Dresser Angela Kelly.
Kelly's name has made headlines in recent days, having reportedly been the subject of Meghan Markle's wrath when a tiara she had planned on wearing for her wedding could not be produced for an unscheduled hair appointment.
One source : "Angela told Harry it was priceless and couldn't suddenly be handed over at short notice.
"He was furious and shouted: 'What Meghan wants, Meghan gets.' Suffice to say it didn't go down too well."
The tiara clash with the Queen's closest aide Angela Kelly is said to have sparked words for Harry from the monarch herself.
The Commonwealth special will air just hours before Harry and Meghan’s interview with chat queen Oprah Winfrey; which is set to be broadcast at primetime in the UK.
It follows claims from insiders that staff nicknamed Prince Harry "the Hostage" ahead of his wedding to Meghan Markle, who has also been accused of bullying staff.
At least 10 royal aides who worked for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are “queuing up” to help with the Palace’s bullying probe into the Duchess of Sussex,
The Duchess strongly denies the claims.
The shock investigation, ordered by the Queen, come after claims Meghan "humiliated" female aides and drove them to quit.
Last year's ceremony was Harry and Meg's final engagement and the duchess flew back to Canada only hours after getting a frosty reception from royals inside the abbey.
In his speech delivered inside the Abbey, Prince Charles will say, said: "The coronavirus pandemic has affected every country of the Commonwealth cruelly robbing countless people of their lives and livelihoods disrupting our societies and denying us the human connections which we so dearly cherish.
"Amidst such heartbreaking suffering, however, the extraordinary determination, courage and creativity with which people have responded has been an inspiration to us all.
"This pandemic has shown us the true nature of a global emergency. We have learned that human health, economic health and planetary health are fundamentally interconnected and that pandemics, climate change, biodiversity loss are existential threats which know no borders
The Queen will also deliver a pre-recorded message on the hour-long BBC show at 5pm today/tomorrow.
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chatted to Dr Zolelwa Sifumba from South Africa, who has been working over the past decade to advocate for the rights of healthcare workers and medical staff working on the front line.
Kate said: "Here in the UK there has been a massive public recognition the front line are doing it is sad almost it has taken the pandemic for public to really back and support all those working on front line
Dr Sifumba replied: "We actually know the problems we see the problems every day we walk into work there are the problems "But the problem is our voices are not heard.
"We are on the front line expected to lift humanity, so my advice to everybody is, if you know a healthcare worker any health care worker, you just love on them, love on them, love on the some more. If their child needs looking after, offer, if they need a meal, offer."
William said: "Catherine and I have spoken to a lot of healthcare workers in the Uk and around the world over that last year, we hear your worries and your concerns, thank you for your time chatting to us about it .=
Camilla was filmed chatting literature with TV presenter Clare Balding at Poets Corner in Westminster Abbey.
The Duchess of Cornwall said: "I've always had a passion for books. Books have been a part of my life for so long. I started reading when I was very, very young. With a father who was a fervent bibliophile.
"So from the age of two or three he was just read to us children take us on wonderful adventures all over the world and I think i was bitten at that age and since then i have just kept doing and I have got involved in a lot of literacy programs and patronages and I just feel very strongly that all children should be taught to read."
The Countess of Wessex spoke to Caitlin Figueiredo, founder and CEO of ‘Jasiri Australia’, which aims to transform women and girls’ access to politics, empowering the next generation of female leaders.
Hailing gender equality, she said: "There is no end of passion from young people and no end of desire to want to do something.
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"But often I think they find what is my next step. How do I get involved, for Caitin to have created an organisation to put them in front people where they can start to feel they are having an influence is astonishing."
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Buckingham Palace said the date of the show - which has included all senior working royals - was agreed by the BBC well in advance of Harry and Meghan's Oprah screen date.
It also included music and appearances from a string of celebs.
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Meghan Markle claims palace insisted on being in the room when she spoke to Oprah on phone
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