Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have a supporter in Hugh Grant.
Appearing on SiriusXM’s “Radio Andy” on Monday — the same day as the historic Megxit summit — Grant was asked his thoughts about Harry and Meghan’s recent decision to step away from their senior royal duties.
“I’m rather on Harry’s side, I have to say,” the British actor responded to host Andy Cohen. “The tabloid press effectively murdered his mother [Princess Diana], now they’re tearing his wife to pieces.”
In 1997, Diana was involved in a fatal car accident while being chased by paparazzi in Paris. Harry was 12 years old at the time of her death.
This past October, Harry, now 35, spoke candidly about his mother’s death to ITV News.
“I think being part of this family, in this role and this job, every single time I see a camera, every single time I hear a click, every single time I see a flash, it takes me straight back,” Harry told the outlet. “So in that respect, it’s the worst reminder of her life as opposed to the best.”
Grant, who has his own rocky relationship with the press, added on Monday, “I think, as a man, it’s [Harry’s] job to protect his family so I’m with him.”
On Monday, Harry met with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II, father Prince Charles and older brother Prince William to discuss his and Meghan’s future within the royal family.
The Queen issued a statement after the historic summit, saying that while she and the royal family are “entirely supportive” of Harry and Meghan, she “would have preferred” the couple to keep their full-time palace roles.
Meghan did not join Harry for the summit, Buckingham Palace confirmed Tuesday, as she remains in Canada with the couple’s 8-month-old son Archie.