Prince Charles' butler defends Prince Harry from claims he is destroying monarchy

Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have been accused of destroying the monarchy following their allegations of racism in their Oprah interview in 2021. On the contrary, a palace aide said the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are trying to modernise the institution.

Grant Harrold, the former butler of Prince Charles, defended the couple, especially the 37-year-old royal. He shared that he personally knows him, having worked at the palace from 2004 until 2011, and believes him to be respectful of the monarchy.

He told Insider, "I don't believe for a second that Harry would intentionally try to destroy the monarchy. I wouldn't put it past him to want to modernise it... to make people aware of things that have gone on that are wrong."

Harrold believes that the palace will likely use the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's feedback to improve H.R. policies. He shared that when he worked for the royal family, he was also encouraged to raise concerns with the H.R. department.

During their Oprah interview, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle shared that there were conversations among unnamed senior royals about how dark their children will be. They also shared concerns over their lack of security after Megxit, especially for their son Archie.

Buckingham Palace, in response, said "recollections may vary," but assured that the couple and their son, will always be "much-loved members" of the British Royal Family. Moreover, H.R. policies at the palace were reportedly also improved following the completion of a probe into allegations that the former "Suits" star bullied palace aides.

Meanwhile, royal commentator Kristen Meinzer also defended the Duchess of Sussex, saying that the 40-year-old could not possibly want to destroy the British monarchy. After all, she advocated for human rights issues long before she joined the royal family. She also spoke about gender equality and has since been a vocal activist.

The U.S.-based commentator said the royals "skirted around" these issues before Meghan Markle married Prince Harry. But when they eventually acknowledged them, it was in the "narrowest sense." Like Harrold, Meinzer also believes that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex want to modernise the monarchy and that the royals have them to thank if it survives "to the next century."