Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spoken out after their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, were drawn into public criticism surrounding the Royal Family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex issued a statement through their spokesperson following comments predicting that Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 5, would one day create difficulties for their royal cousins.
In a statement shared with The Daily Beast, the spokesperson said there was a clear distinction between criticising well-known adults and targeting children.
“There is a fundamental difference between criticizing public figures and choosing to demonize two young children who have done absolutely nothing to warrant it,” the representative said.
The spokesperson also condemned suggestions that Archie and Lilibet could eventually “make life a misery” for Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
“To speculate that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet will one day ‘make life a misery’ for their cousins is an extraordinary and irresponsible thing to say about children,” the statement continued.
The representative added that Harry and Meghan were “genuinely disgusted” by the remarks.
“Whatever views people may hold about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, children should never be dragged into adult disputes or portrayed as future antagonists for the sake of a provocative soundbite,” the spokesperson concluded.
The statement came in response to remarks made by comedian and commentator Mark Dolan during a discussion about Prince Harry’s recent visit to the United Kingdom.
Dolan initially questioned Harry’s concerns about security, claiming the visit showed that he could enter and leave royal properties safely without a highly visible police presence.
“We discovered, for the U.K. return a couple of weeks ago, that he doesn’t need the cop cars and the helicopters,” Dolan said. “He can be in an SUV with blacked-out windows and get in and out of royal property very safely. It was about the look.”
He then predicted that tensions between the Sussexes and the Royal Family would continue after Prince William becomes king.
“You’re going to have Meghan and Harry making life a misery for King William and Queen Catherine,” Dolan claimed.
He went on to suggest that the dispute could eventually affect the next generation of royal children.
“Archie and Lily, when they’re teenagers and young adults, I predict will make life a misery for George, Charlotte and Louis,” he said.
Harry and Meghan’s response marks a rare direct intervention concerning public commentary about their children, who have largely remained outside royal life and away from the spotlight.
