Former BBC presenter and columnist Andrew Neil has launched a foul-mouthed attack on Prince Harry after a video of the Duke of Sussex resurfaced on social media. The 77-year-old reacted to footage shared by a social media user who wrote, "I guess we've got a lot more of this type of thing to look forward to."
The clip, recorded in California six years ago, shows Harry paying tribute to young people working to make a change across the world as he presented a Princess Diana Award via video message in 2020. In it, he spoke on behalf of himself and Prince William, thanking recipients for fighting back against institutional racism and unconscious bias.
Harry's apology in resurfaced clip
In the video, Harry said: "My wife said recently that our generation and the ones before us haven't done enough to right the wrongs of the past. I too am sorry. Sorry that we haven't got the world to the place you deserve it to be."
Neil, who has 1.2 million followers on the micro-blogging platform, responded with a rant in view of his audience. He wrote: "Please! Is there nobody who can make this virtue-signalling b*****ks stop? Why does he think we give a monkey's what he thinks? He has zero qualifications/knowledge to opine on such matters."
Neil's 'two-word bombshell'
Neil continued: "He's 'sorry' the world is not a better place than it is. With that sort of penetrating philosophical insight an Oxbridge professorship must surely beckon, toute suite."
In further remarks aimed at the Sussexes, he added: "He's just reading a vacuous script his wife wrote for him. If we had a whip round couldn't we pay for them to stay in Montecito?" He concluded with a two-word response: "I'd contribute."
Sussexes' UK return
Within the next few days, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children are expected to depart California and become residents of the UK. Plans for a number of charity engagements in September in Britain were already in place.
Harry will attend the WellChild Awards in London towards the end of the month, continuing his support for the event which honours the bravery of seriously ill children. There will also be an emphasis on the Invictus Games for wounded service personnel, which will be held in Birmingham next July.
