The royal family was not the only one shocked by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s incendiary claims of racism against them.
Celebrated American playwright Michael R. Jackson says the allegations made by the couple in his explosive interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey left him full of doubts.
“On one level, I might feel sorry for them, but I’m also skeptical of some of their claims,” Jackson tells me.
The couple alleged that an anonymous royal had raised “concerns” about “how dark” the skin color of their first child would be while Meghan was pregnant with Archie.
“I found that interview deeply frustrating,” says Jackson, whose award-winning musical, A Strange Loop, has moved from Broadway to London’s Barbican. The show tackles the issue of racism in the US “When you talk about something as important as racism, you have to be specific,” she says, referring to the Sussexes’ interview.
And he adds: ‘It seems that they are always saying a lot, but very little at the same time. . . maybe they are afraid.
RICHARD EDEN: Celebrated American playwright Michael R. Jackson says the allegations made by the couple in his explosive interview with talk show host Oprah Winfrey left him full of doubts.
RICHARD EDEN: “On one level, I might feel sorry for them, but I’m also skeptical of some of their claims,” Jackson tells me.
After her interview with Oprah in 2021, Queen Elizabeth released a statement that included the memorable line that “memories may vary” when it comes to her claims of racism.
The Princess of Wales is said to have been even “stronger” than Prince William in helping to craft Buckingham Palace’s robust response, according to royal correspondent Valentine Low, in the paperback edition of her book Courtiers. William’s anger at the claims was evident when he was questioned about them in public afterwards. “We are not a racist family at all,” he told a television reporter.
Jackson’s comments follow a series of recent public criticisms of the California couple. Last month, Meghan was dismissed as a talentless broadcaster by one of Hollywood’s most powerful figures.
Jeremy Zimmer delivered his withering verdict after streaming giant Spotify scrapped its £18 million deal with her and Harry. The United Talent Agency chief executive said he was not surprised Spotify had dumped the couple.
“It turns out that Meghan Markle wasn’t a great audio talent, or necessarily any kind of talent,” he said.
Meghan Markle failed to make it big in Hollywood, but that hasn’t stopped another royal from setting her heart on stardom.
I heard that Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece and Denmark, whose sister Princess Olympias is King Charles’s goddaughter, got his first movie role.
He is the grandson of King Constantine of Greece, a relative of Prince Philip, who was exiled from the country after the 1967 coup.
The 22-year-old aspiring actor, who goes by the professional name Achi Miller, teams up with Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence in her raunchy new film, No Hard Feelings, in which her character tries to seduce a neighbor. “Proud to play a small part in something so special,” says Achi.
He is using the maiden name of his London-born mother, Marie-Chantal Miller, who married Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.
Achi, who grew up in the capital and studied at Wellington College in Berkshire, is dating fashion royalty: his girlfriend is Bella Massenet, daughter of Net-a-Porter founder Dame Natalie Massenet.
RICHARD EDEN: I heard that Prince Achileas-Andreas of Greece and Denmark, whose sister Princess Olympias is a goddaughter of King Charles, got his first movie role.
Made In Chelsea star Kimberley Garner is revving up her love life.
The property developer’s daughter, 32, turned up to the Grand Prix Ball at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham, west London, with a mysterious new boyfriend she will name only ‘Andreas’. She explains about her romance: “He’s very, very new.”
Andreas works in finance and tells me he misses the ‘crazy’ and ‘no budget’ nights before the 2008 financial crisis.
“Those were the good days,” he jokes. “You can’t do it these days without human resources, they took the fun.”
RICHARD EDEN: The property developer’s daughter, 32, turned up at the Grand Prix Ball at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham, west London, with a mysterious new boyfriend whom she will only name ‘Andreas’.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has performed many wedding ceremonies, but one this week brought him special joy.
I heard you officiated at the wedding of the husband of murdered MP Jo Cox, who was murdered seven years ago.
Brendan Cox, 44, exchanged vows with anti-domestic violence activist Anna Ryder, 37, on Tuesday at Lambeth Palace. Cox asked his two children for permission before remarrying.
He said Cuillin, 12, and Lejla, 10, were delighted by the news, as he admitted he “never thought” he would find love again, adding: “I’m incredibly lucky that I did.”
RICHARD EDEN: Brendan Cox, 44, exchanged vows with anti-domestic violence activist Anna Ryder, 37, on Tuesday at Lambeth Palace
If Fiona Bruce continues like this, she could gain a reputation for being biased against the Tories.
I heard that the presenter of Question Time broke the BBC rules for the second time in five months.
After investigating a complaint about an episode in January, the Corporation admitted this week that it misled viewers by falsely claiming that a graphic showed there had been a “dramatic” drop in NHS funding. In fact, it showed that funding had increased every year minus one.
“The Complaints Executive Unit found that this section of the program did not meet BBC accuracy standards and upheld the complaint to that effect,” it says. In February, she discovered that Bruce breached BBC rules after she incorrectly claimed that the audience wanted an immediate general election.
RICHARD EDEN: If Fiona Bruce continues like this, she could gain a reputation for being biased against the Tories.
Just days after revealing that Sting’s son Eliot Sumner had split from society model Frankie Herbert, there’s good news for The Police star’s family.
I heard that Sting’s daughter, Fuschia Sumner, got engaged. The 41-year-old actress will marry Maximilian Wright.
“Super in love, super committed, super happy” is all Fuschia will say. Max has given her a stunning oval cut diamond ring.
Fuschia’s mother is Frances Tomelty, 74, the Northern Irish actress who was married to Sting until 1984. They split after the singer’s affair with actress Trudie Styler, who “happened” to be Tomelty’s best friend.
RICHARD EDEN: I heard that Sting’s daughter, Fuschia Sumner, got engaged. The 41-year-old actress will marry Maximilian Wright
Bill Wyman quit the Rolling Stones in 1992, but he still lives life in the fast lane.
The 86-year-old bassist reveals that he has been repeatedly ticketed for speeding in 20mph zones. “I’ve been done twice for doing 22 mph and 26 mph,” Wyman laments. ‘I’ve paid fines and had three points on my license, the same if you’re going 105 mph on a highway. I mean, speeding at 22 mph?
“That’s the sad part of what’s happening in London right now and it’s causing more congestion, more pollution.”
He has offered compelling insights into the business machinations and personal foibles of everyone from Sir David Tang to Lord Lucan.
But, at 83, businessman Algy Cluff is venturing into new literary territory: journaling. At the Turf Club for the launch of his fifth volume of observational memoir, The Importance Of Being Algy, he explains that he has “exhausted his store of anecdotal”, so keeping a journal will allow him to fulfill his ambition of writing one book a year.
Cluff, who at the end of this month welcomes Princess Anne to Dover in his role as Chairman of the Remembrance Trust, tells me that he will travel regularly back and forth to Africa, with “a team of people, we have been asked that we build a plant to make batteries, using lithium.’
There is no danger of a daily cocoa and slippers from Algy.
Dining at one of Simon Rimmer’s restaurants sounds like a memorable experience. “One of my chefs said something like, ‘If you go out to eat, if it doesn’t make you want to have sex at the end, it hasn’t been a good meal,'” says Sunday Brunch star Rimmer.
‘It’s about feeling like, ‘Wow, that was a sensual experience and I want it to continue.’ For me, having a salad and a glass of sparkling mineral water in a restaurant. . . it’s not doing it for me at all.’
