Denise Welch shared a heated exchange with former royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter over the treatment of Meghan Markle, confessing she is “sick to death of the bashing” the Duchess receives – and we want to hear your thoughts
Denise Welch has faced backlash for defending Meghan Markle during a heated exchange with Dickie Arbiter on Loose Women – and we want to hear your thoughts.
The former royal press secretary joined the panel on Monday to discuss King Charles’s cancer battle, but things took an awkward turn when Prince Harry’s strained relationship with the royals was addressed.
“Harry has been rubbishing the family since he walked out in 2020,” he said, before pointing out the prince’s bombshell memoir and various TV interviews. He said: “We had in 2021, Oprah; we had at the end of ’22, six hours of Netflix, and then we had at the beginning of ’23, 600 pages of Spare.”
Denise voiced her support for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, as she spoke up in favour of the pair stepping down as working royals after the scrutiny they received. The 65-year-old quizzed: “If I may say, do you not think there is a reason why Harry did such a thing?” She then summarised the difficulties Harry had faced, including the death of his mother and the introduction of Queen Camilla to his family.
Turning to Arbiter, Denise continued: “This young boy, who witnesses the death of his mother, who is forced to walk publicly, in front of the world, behind his dead mother’s coffin, and accept this woman that he doesn’t like as his stepmother – then he has a wife who is continually trashed by the media, including your good self, if I may say – when she is on a world stage, doing a lot of good for a lot of people, before she met this guy.”
“And I am just sick to death of the bashing that this woman gets,” she added. “Everybody’s happy to say the bashing that the other royal family members get, hardly any of you mention Andrew. And yet we continually, every day, berate this woman. And I think when her children grow up and see what she goes through, I think Harry had a bloody good reason to write that book in my opinion.”
The press secretary explained that he was “not going to argue” with the panellist, and suggested that she had read “too many tabloid stories”. Unimpressed with his response, Denise shot back: “No, I haven’t, and don’t disrespect me for saying that. Because I have read a lot about Meghan before, as well, and I think it’s a disgrace, the way she’s treated.”
The passionate debate left X viewers divided, as one watcher penned: “Well done Dickie Arbiter for handling yourself so brilliantly with the disgraceful behaviour of Denise Welch on Loose Women today.” While others hailed the panellist for sharing her thoughts, as another wrote: “Was stunned by Denise Welch today.
“Well done to her for pointing out the sanctimonious hypocrisy of people like Dickie.” Following the Loose Women interview, we want to know if you agree with Denise’s comments. Vote in our poll HERE to have your say.
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