Harry says Meghan 'had a fantastic Christmas with the Queen' and describes Royals as 'the family she's never had'

Prince Harry was interviewed as he guest edited Today on BBC Radio 4
REUTERS
Chloe Chaplain27 December 2017

Prince Harry said his fiancée Meghan Markle “really enjoyed” spending Christmas with the Queen in Sandringham and described the Royals as the big family “she’s never had”.

The Prince was interviewed about his festive break during his guest editorship of BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

He was asked by presenter Sarah Montague how Ms Markle had coped with meeting the "in-laws", to which he replied: "It was fantastic, she really enjoyed it."

Ms Markle and Harry joined the Queen for Christmas Day and were photographed walking with Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge on the family trip to church.

Christmas: The couple spent Christmas with the Queen
PA Wire/PA Images

Chatting about the festivities, Harry said he and Ms Markle had stayed with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who live in Anmer Hall in Norfolk, and added: "The family loved having her there”.

He said: "There's always that family part of Christmas (where) there's always that work element there as well, and I think together we had an amazing time.

PA Wire/PA Images

"We had great fun staying with my brother and sister-in-law and running round with the kids. Christmas was fantastic."

The presenter asked the prince if there were any family traditions that had to be explained to Ms Markle and he replied: "Oh plenty, I think we've got one of the biggest families that I know of, and every family is complex as well.

Engaged: The couple spent Christmas with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge
Alexi Lubomirski via AP

"No look, she's done an absolutely amazing job. She's getting in there and it's the family I suppose that she's never had."

As part of his stint on the show, the Prince interviewed former US president Barack Obama, before joking whether the former President would be invited to his wedding next May.

Harry said: "I don't know about that, we haven't even put the invite or the guest list together, who knows if he's going to be invited or not, I wouldn't want to ruin that surprise."

During the show Harry also interviewed his father the Prince of Wales and discussed his long-held interest in the environment and protecting the world's natural resources.

Interview: Prince Harry interviewing his father, the Prince of Wales
PA

Prince Charles said climate change is causing "untold horrors" across the world and warned that technology "can't solve our relationship with nature".

When asked by his son to pick one issue to focus on next year, Charles said over the years there have been a "whole lot" of things he has tried to focus on that he thought needed attention.

"Not everyone else did, but maybe now some years later they are beginning to realise that what I was trying to say may not have been as dotty as they thought," Charles said.

"The issue really which has to go on being focused on, big time I think, is this one around the whole issue of climate change.

“[…] We are having to deal all the time with the symptoms that are springing up all round the world, and they are diverting us off down all these different channels to try and deal with ghastly conflicts and humanitarian and natural disasters, and goodness knows what else.

"But at the root of it all, much of it, is climate change which is causing untold horrors in different parts of the world."

Charles said it would be an "unutterable tragedy" and an "inexcusable one" if we "destroyed this quite remarkable planet and ecosystem".

Radio 4: Prince Harry (centre) with presenters Justin Webb and Sarah Montague
PA

During the exchange which lasted around nine minutes Charles can be heard referring to his son as "darling boy", and Harry to the next in line to the throne as "pa".

When asked for the one person who stood out amongst the thousands he has met this year, Charles revealed it was a "remarkable youngish Iraqi Christian".

Charles said the man had been captured by Islamic State, tortured, "treated abominably and threatened with being beheaded at every moment of the day or night".

"Finally somehow he escaped or somehow got away, or whatever, but he was telling me despite all this horror that he went through, he could still find it in his heart to forgive them," he said.

"And this was the thing that I could not get over, you know, how remarkable that sort of person is and there are some wonderful people like that around the world on whom we really depend, I think if we are going to have some sort of solution to all these horrifying situations."

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