A tense royal clash on Good Morning Britain sparked complaints from viewers who accused the show of being obsessed with Prince Harry. During the Tuesday (July 7) episode, hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls discussed the Duke of Sussex's visit to London after Buckingham Palace said he would not stay at the palace, despite his team initially announcing he had accepted an invitation.
Palace Invitation Withdrawn
A spokesperson for Prince Harry said the offer to stay at the palace had been "withdrawn," a decision they called "disappointing." The duke arrived in the UK without his wife, Meghan Markle, or their two children, after it was confirmed the family would not receive taxpayer-funded police security.
Heated Debate on Security
Royal commentator Afua Hagan argued that King Charles had revoked the invitation deliberately, while former Royal Editor at The Sun Duncan Larcombe believed Harry was to blame. Ed Balls clashed with Hagan over the Home Office's decision to decline Harry and Meghan's request for armed protection.
"The security issue was worked out months ago," Ed noted, but Hagan interrupted: "No, no, Ed, I have to push back on that." Ed countered: "They've known that all along. That's not the reason for the debate in the last two days." Hagan insisted: "I'm going to have to push back on that one. RAVEC [Royal and VIP Executive Committee] have not done an updated risk assessment on the security that Prince Harry needs since 2019."
Ed hit back: "The Home Office said yesterday that RAVEC assessed the risk... Are you saying that RAVEC aren't doing their job? Are you saying the Home Office is incompetent, they're happy to risk the security of Prince Harry?" Hagan replied: "I am saying that, and I will say that with my whole chest 10 toes down."
Viewer Complaints
GMB viewers were frustrated minutes into the show, complaining about Prince Harry dominating the news. "#GMB is obsessed with Prince Harry," one wrote on X. Another said: "#GMB desperate to make a story out of nothing. Pathetic." A third commented: "Give it a rest!" while someone else shared: "No one is interested." A fifth viewer stated: "Who actually cares? The constant discussion about this is boring and getting ridiculous."
Good Morning Britain airs weekdays on ITV1 and ITVX at 6am.
