On the morning of September 11, 2025, British television viewers witnessed yet another fiery exchange between broadcaster Piers Morgan and the ongoing saga of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Morgan, never one to mince words, erupted into a passionate on-air rant during ITV’s This Morning, targeting Prince Harry in the wake of the Duke’s return to the United Kingdom for a series of charity engagements and a highly anticipated reunion with King Charles. The segment quickly spiraled into a heated debate that laid bare the deep divisions in public opinion over the royal couple’s choices and their impact on the monarchy.
As Prince Harry wrapped up several days of public service in the UK—his first extended visit in over a year and marking his first in-person meeting with his father, King Charles, in more than 18 months—the British media landscape braced for a familiar storm. Piers Morgan, a veteran journalist and one of the most outspoken critics of the Sussexes, seized the moment to air his grievances live. Sitting across from panellist Ashley James, who praised Prince Harry as a “dedicated” individual who has “done so much for mental health,” Morgan wasted no time in challenging the prevailing narrative.
Interrupting James mid-sentence, Morgan questioned the true impact of Harry’s advocacy. “You’re painting him as an idyllic picture of this heroic character,” Morgan retorted, his tone dripping with skepticism. “He has renounced royal duty, but he’s kept the royal titles so he can continue making money out of being Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.” According to This Morning, Morgan’s remarks were sharp and unyielding, reflecting his long-standing frustration with what he sees as royal hypocrisy.
The clash did not end there. Ashley James, refusing to back down, pushed back at Morgan’s accusations, prompting the broadcaster to double down. Morgan insisted that Harry’s decision to step back from royal duties was not simply a matter of personal well-being, but rather a calculated move in response to “relentless media intrusion, with your mouth being one of those mouth pieces.” In a moment that captured the essence of the debate, Morgan asked pointedly, “What about the vitriol he’s dished out to his family?”
Throughout the broadcast, Morgan’s criticism extended beyond Harry himself. He argued that both Harry and Meghan Markle have played a significant role in the declining popularity of the monarchy by speaking negatively about the royals while living in California. “They (Harry and Meghan) spent five years enriching themselves in California for trashing their family. You can’t get away from that,” Morgan declared, according to ITV’s coverage. He asserted that their high-profile interviews, particularly with Oprah Winfrey, and lucrative media deals—including Harry’s memoir and their Netflix series—have made them, in his words, “the most intrusive person into royal privacy ever.”
Morgan’s on-air tirade was not without personal context. The broadcaster referenced his own tumultuous history with the Sussexes, recalling his infamous dismissal from Good Morning Britain in 2021 after he criticized Meghan Markle’s revelations during her Oprah interview. “I stand by everything I’ve ever said,” Morgan insisted during Thursday’s debate. His animosity toward Meghan, as reported by several outlets, allegedly began after Markle befriended him and then abruptly cut off contact following her relationship with Harry—a personal slight that, for Morgan, seemed to fuel a public feud.
The on-air spat with Ashley James was emblematic of the broader cultural divide surrounding the Sussexes. James, for her part, highlighted Harry’s charitable work and mental health advocacy, arguing that the Duke has brought much-needed attention to issues long stigmatized within the royal family and British society at large. Morgan, however, was quick to question whether Harry’s actions have helped or harmed the royal family’s own mental health, suggesting that airing grievances in public has only deepened familial wounds.
The debate grew even more pointed when Morgan accused Harry of trying to “cherry pick certain things that make him look good.” He argued that Harry’s recent UK charity work was less about genuine service and more about rehabilitating his public image. “My thing is you can’t have your cake and eat it,” Morgan said, echoing a refrain that has become common among critics of the Sussexes. “What he wants to do is cherry pick certain things that make him look good.”
Underlying Morgan’s criticism is a broader conversation about the role of the monarchy in modern Britain. In recent years, the royal family has faced declining approval ratings, with many Britons questioning its relevance and the conduct of its members. According to Morgan, Harry and Meghan’s decision to air their grievances from afar has only exacerbated this trend. “You can’t have your cake and eat it too,” he repeated, suggesting that the couple’s pursuit of independence and privacy was fundamentally at odds with their continued use of royal titles and privileges.
Yet, as with many debates about the royal family, opinions remain sharply divided. Supporters of Harry and Meghan argue that their willingness to speak out about mental health, racism, and the pressures of royal life has broken important taboos and modernized the monarchy’s image. Critics, like Morgan, view their actions as self-serving and damaging to an institution already under strain.
The segment also touched on the broader fallout for British media personalities who have weighed in on the Sussexes. Morgan was not alone in facing professional consequences for his outspoken views; Jeremy Clarkson and Sharon Osbourne were also among those who lost television roles amid controversies linked to their public comments about the royals and related issues. In Osbourne’s case, she was removed from the American program The Talk after defending Morgan and denying accusations of racism—a reminder of how deeply the Sussexes’ story has resonated on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the end, the events of September 11, 2025, offered yet another chapter in the ongoing drama between Piers Morgan and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. With each public appearance, the lines between personal grievance, public service, and the future of the monarchy become increasingly blurred. As the debate rages on, one thing is certain: the story of Harry, Meghan, and the royal family continues to captivate—and divide—the British public.
