Duke and Duchess of Sussex could be stripped of royal titles under MP’s Bill

Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be stripped of their royal titles says Bob Seely, a Tory MP
Duke and Duchess of Sussex should be stripped of their royal titles says Bob Seely, a Tory MP - MISCHA SCHOEMAKER/AKGS

Parliament could consider stripping the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their royal titles under legislation proposed this week.

Bob Seely, the Conservative MP, has said the House of Commons should consider the “nuclear option” of denying the couple their Duke and Duchess standing amid the royal racism row.

The Duke and Duchess have remained silent following the naming of the two Royal family members alleged to have made remarks about the colour of their unborn child’s skin.

Their identities first emerged in the Dutch translation of the book Endgame by Omid Scobie that were then reported by news organisations around the world.

Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Seely, the MP for the Isle of Wight, said that few believed that Harry and Meghan were not behind claims made in the book and that the use of the race row to  smear the Royal family was “poisonously insidious”.

Mr Seely, a member of the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee, wants to adapt laws originally passed in the First World War to strip enemy German nobles of their British titles.

He wrote: “In the next couple of weeks, I shall present a Bill in Parliament to strip the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of their royal titles.

“I’m not a republican and support the monarchy, but after the latest instalment of the couple’s feud with the rest of the Royal family, I believe that Parliament and the Privy Council should consider a nuclear option.”

Bob Seely has said House of Commons should consider ‘nuclear option’ of denying couple their Duke and Duchess standing
Bob Seely has said House of Commons should consider ‘nuclear option’ of denying couple their Duke and Duchess standing

Mr Seely has applied for his Titles Deprivation 1917 Amendment Bill to be listed on the Commons’ Order Paper next week. The move would resurrect the wartime powers by removing references to “enemies” or “present war”.

He added: “My aim is simple: if someone doesn’t want to be royal, that is a decision we respect – but they should not keep the titles and privileges if they trash an institution that plays an important part in our nation’s life.

“Sources close to the Sussexes have stressed that Harry and Meghan are not behind claims made in Omid Scobie’s book. But I suspect that few people believe such denials.

“Of all Scobie’s allegations, the use of race to smear the Royal family is the most poisonously insidious, guaranteed to leave a whiff of stigma and impossible to prove when false. It is the catch-all slur of the modern era.”

Mr Seely said that the allegations jarred with the “extraordinary” work by the late Queen and King Charles and “unproven and incendiary” attacks on the Royal family were “indefensible”.

“The allegations jar with so much of what we know about the royals and this country. The late Queen and King Charles have done extraordinary work over decades reaching out to everyone in the country, including ethnic minorities and those from Commonwealth nations.

“I feel genuine pity for Harry and the life choices he has made. It can’t have been easy for him. But the couple and their supporters have a track record of attacking the Royal family with unproven and incendiary allegations, which they then appear to deny or refuse to back up, which is indefensible.”

The Duke and Duchess have remained silent following the naming of the two Royal family members
Duke and Duchess have remained silent following naming of the two Royal family members - Getty Images

Mr Seely’s intervention comes as it was reported the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been excluded from the wedding of the Duke of Westminster next summer.

Hugh Grosvenor, 32, has invited the King and Queen and the Prince and Princess of Wales when he marries Olivia Henson, 30, at Chester Cathedral on June 7, which will be the society wedding of the year.

Separately, the former head of royal protection claimed Harry and Meghan are “chipping away” at the foundations of the monarchy through their role in accusations of racism against the King and the Princess of Wales.

Dai Davies, a former divisional commander in the Metropolitan Police who worked closely with Elizabeth II and senior members of the Royal family, said the “false narrative” being created about alleged comments could prove damaging to the institution.

Mr Davies, who was responsible for royal protection until his retirement, told the Telegraph: “Prince Harry and Meghan and those who purport to talk for them are slowly damaging the status of the Royal family.

“There is a false narrative that is being peddled about Palace racism. It’s not at all unusual to ask what a baby will look like.

“What the Duke and Duchess are doing is giving succour to those who would want to replace the monarchy and get rid of it. They are chipping away at the foundations of the institution.”

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