Prince Edward - the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth - has admitted the situation between the British royal family and Prince Harry and his wife Duchess Meghan has been “difficult for everyone” but “that’s families for you”.
During an interview with US television channel CNN, the Earl of Wessex - who is Queen Elizabeth’s youngest son - was asked about “the family rift that is undeniably there” between Harry and Meghan and senior members of the family.
Edward, 57, asked the interviewer "are you euphemistically referring to Harry and Meghan?" and when that was confirmed he went on to insist that his nephew and his wife have his utmost sympathy as “we’ve all been there before” when it comes to “excessive intrusion” and wished them “the best of luck” in their life in America.
Edward - who is married to Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, with whom he has two children, Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn - said: "It's very sad. Weirdly we've all been there before - we've all had excessive intrusion and attention in our lives.
“We've all dealt with it in slightly different ways, and, listen, we wish them the very best of luck. It's a really hard decision ... It's difficult for everyone, but, as I said, that's families for you."
Harry, 36, and his 39-year-old former actress spouse - who was formerly known as Meghan Markle - relocated to the US in 2020 after making the decision to step down as senior members of the royal family.
The couple - who have two-year-old son Archie and newborn daughter Lilibet Diana - gave a tell-all interview Oprah Winfrey this year in which they damned the lack of support they received from the family when Meghan was struggling to adjust to her new life, so much so that she felt suicidal.
Harry also teamed up with Oprah, 67, for the Apple TV+ docuseries “The Me You Don’t See” in which he bravely spoke about his own mental health issues and in particular the emotional turmoil he has experienced throughout his life since the tragic death of his mother Princess Diana in a car crash in 1997 when he was just 12.