Prince Harry and Meghan’s Oprah Winfrey interview failed to win an Emmy because it was “largely propaganda”, a royal expert has claimed.
Richard Fitzwilliams, who is also a veteran film critic, said the fact it was broadcast across the planet and hosted by the iconic chat show host would have put it in good stead.
But, in the eyes of the ceremony’s judging panel, that alone wouldn’t be enough for the bombshell chat to win an award.
The interview – which took place in March while Prince Philip was gravely ill – was pipped to the post by Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy in the Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special Award.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Mr Fitzwilliams said “originally I thought it had a very good chance” of winning after it was screened in 70 countries and had Oprah fronting it.
He claimed however that high audience figures alone wouldn’t be enough to sway the judges.
“They were given too easy a life – there wasn’t a single point that Oprah pushed them on,” he claimed.
“Oprah as an interviewer never pushed them. It was clearly rehearsed and parts of it were questionable.
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“You can see why an awards ceremony would see flaws that the average viewer would not pick up on.
“The fact that it did so well with the audience wouldn’t give it a right to win by itself.”
During the landmark interview, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed that a senior royal questioned how dark their son Archie’s skin would be.
In a statement released days after the interview aired the Queen said she was “saddened” by their comment but insisted that “recollections may vary”.
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Harry also claimed that his family “literally cut me off financially” after they stepped back as senior royals last January.
This was disputed by the Prince of Wales who reportedly gave the couple a “substantial sum” of money after they quit as working royals.
Meghan also suggested that her son Archie was denied his birthright of the title of prince by the palace and that the decision went against protocol.
She spoke of her shock at being told he would not get police protection because he did not have a title, and suggested that the decision was taken because of his mixed race.
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In reality, under protocols established by George V in 1917, the children and grandchildren of a sovereign have the automatic right to the title HRH and prince or princess.
Failure to win the award may also have damaged their value, according to investment platform Invezz.
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A spokesman said that the prestige of winning an Emmy would have helped propel them forward and add kudos to their upcoming projects.
The apparent snub has “devalued” this in some investors' eyes and takes away the sheen of being associated with the Royal Family, they added.
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