Prince Harry has been accused of "hijacking" a "very important" Royal Family event, leaving Prince William "incandescent". The Duke of Sussex's GQ interview, in which he declared he wants to "work it out" with his family, overshadowed the Sultan of Oman's state visit on Wednesday.
Strategic Importance of Oman
Carole Malone said the "daft" move risked jeopardising Oman's vast strategic importance to Britain, and suggested it had left the Prince of Wales "incandescent" with rage. She told the Royals Unscripted podcast: "We invested more than £16million in Oman last year, they're very important to us. But also, they're important strategically to us, with the Strait of Hormuz. They're a very neutral force in the middle of all that, and they're on our side currently, so we roll out the red carpet for them."
Speaking to Express royal editor Emily Ferguson, she added: "Does Harry give a stuff about that? No. This could affect our fuel supplies, everything ... It's appalling, how stupid he is, actually. I think that sort of stuff will make William incandescent."
State Visit Details
Ms Malone went on to suggest that "so much thought and money" had gone into the state visit, including a banquet at Windsor Castle and Princess Kate's outfit resembling the flag of Oman. "This is what the royals are all about," she said. "They bring in billions every year anyway, in tourism, but also in business as a result of visits exactly like this. And it gets hijacked by daft Harry, talking about 'I want to reconcile'."
Harry also drew criticism for scheduling his first joint engagement with Meghan in Britain on the same day the King opened the Welsh Parliament earlier this month. The monarch's first time opening the Senedd since taking the throne was largely eclipsed by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's trip to Nottingham, in which they said it was "great to be back" in the UK while meeting well-wishers in the style of a traditional walkabout.
GQ Interview and Reactions
The duke told GQ that he "wants it to work out" with his family amid their rift, but claimed that "others don't want to". A Sussex spokesperson later clarified that the comments were "absolutely not intended as a swipe at his brother or any other member of his family". He also spoke about the health of the King, who has cancer, when asked whether having a sick parent was triggering after the traumatic death of his mother. "Yes, but you know, he's getting better," he said.
Oman is a key Middle East ally of the UK, and the Sultan's visit came as the US's war against Iran continues, with the vital shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz, close to the coast of Oman, a pinch point. British forces have trained alongside Omani forces in their country for decades, and the port town of Duqm has a major UK strategic military presence.
Historic Visit
This week's visit marked the first by a Sultan of Oman to the UK for 44 years, the last being in 1982, when Queen Elizabeth II hosted the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said, the current Sultan's cousin, at Buckingham Palace. It also marked the first incoming state visit since Harry and Meghan moved back to Britain in August, although as they are not working royals, they do not take part in official engagements.
