GB News Founder Suggests Harry And Meghan’s Praise For The Queen Is Disengenuous

GB News, the newly launched British news channel, has already been making waves with its mix of news, analysis, opinion and debate.

One of the topics that have been up for discussion is the Royal Family and the row over Meghan Markle and Prince Harry.

While the couple have openly criticized the institution of the monarchy as a whole and individual members within it, they have always stopped short of criticizing the matriarch herself, the Queen.

However, Andrew Neil, the veteran journalist who spearheaded the launch of GB News, has suggested that the reason the Duke and Duchess decided not to attack the Queen may not be because of genuine personal affection, but a cynical decision based on Her Majesty's global popularity.

During a debate on Spectator TV, Neil said, ”Was there not something a bit disingenuous about, ”You praise the Queen.

We know why they're doing that.

Whatever your view of the royal family, the Queen's global image is without parallel, better than ever I would say in all the years she's been on the throne, so you can hardly be seen to thrash her.

But actually you praise her, but you trash the institution she has been head of, it's nonsense really, isn't it?”

Neil argued that the couple could not be seen to ”trash” the Queen because her global brand is unparalleled, but that it is ”disingenuous” to praise her while attacking the organization she is a head of.

He suggested that the couple's decision to not attack the Queen may be based on a cynical calculation of her global popularity rather than personal affection.

Freddie Gray, US editor for the Spectator, said he thinks the couple probably do resent the Queen underneath it all.

He said, ”They probably can't admit it.

Harry probably can't admit it to himself, but they probably do resent the Queen in some ways because they seem to resent this incision they felt trapped by.

I think the reason they praised her, it was disingenuous, it's because they realize she's still very popular and they don't want to mess with her brand while they establish their own one.”

Neil's comments come after Meghan and Harry welcomed their second child, a baby girl named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.

Their daughter is named after the Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet.

It was started by her father, King George VI, who imitated his young daughter's attempts to say her own name.

There has been a lot of debate over their choice of name, with royal fans accusing the Sussexes of a cynical ploy to emphasize their link to the Queen.

Anne Gripper read out several comments from listeners in her podcast pod Save the Queen.

One accused the Sussexes of ”self-promotion” with the use of the name.

They said, ”The choice of HMTQ's very personal nickname after the way they have treated her and her life's devoted work is appallingly tasteless.

I was expecting a self-promoting name but this is beyond even my already low opinion of those two.

It's quite presumptuous and an obvious manipulation.

I am very glad they have a healthy baby and I wish her well but the two adults are out of line nearly all the time.”

On the flip side, another royal watcher said they viewed the name as the couple indicating that their issues with the family do not ”involve” the Queen herself.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down as senior royals last year and have hit headlines in recent months after their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey and comments made in other media about their experience.

While the couple have openly criticized both the institution of the monarchy as a whole and individual members within it, they have always stopped short of criticizing the matriarch herself, the Queen.