PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle’s Oprah interview was a disaster for one reason, claims an expert.
Mark Borkowski appeared on this week’s episode of The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show where he told Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson the Sussexes should have learned from Diana and Andrew.
The “disruptive souls” believed they were bigger than the Firm and thought they had complete control over their shocking 2021 TV chat, he said.
When in reality, it completely backfired when Oprah took the lead on the “explosive mistake”.
Mark said: “They were trying to outdo an organisation of the royal household and at the time, the Queen was still alive, giving that advice and she was a wise, wise woman.
“So these disruptive souls who were going to somehow be bigger than the Royal Family themselves, that was a mistake.
“You’re doing a deal and of course you’re talking to one of the most famous interviewers in modern television history.
“There’s no control over it, you’ve done a deal. And you think you’re in control, but you’re not.
“And that was a big mistake. It was so explosive.”
He also told how Harry and Meg should have known a high-profile interview would not go in their favour.
It comes after the late Princess Diana famously told the world, in a chat with Martin Bashir, that she knew then then-Prince Charles was having an affair with his now wife, Camilla.
And in even more speechless events, Prince Andrew infamously told Newsnight, with BBC’s Emily Maitlis, about his links to Jeffrey Epstein – which has since been made into Netflix series Scoop.
Mark added: “The lessons surely were there about mistakes that Diana made in the Bashir interview.
“And there were mistakes in recent history in Andrew given the Maitlis interview.
“They should think ‘How do we do this?’. Less is more.
“The Queen understood, she knew the power and one of the things that I think is one of the greatest statements post that [Oprah] interview was when she said ‘Recollections may vary‘.
“It was such a short brilliantly crafted thing and you know that’s the quality of advice at the highest level.
“Coming also from a woman who probably kept the establishment together from years and years of sitting on that throne and understating how to get the balance.
“It was a desperation to tell their story.”
The late Queen released the statement two days after her grandson and his wife gave what they claimed to be their side to Oprah.
Her full, unprecedented response read: “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan.
“The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. Whilst some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately.
“Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
Senior members of the Royal Family – including the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William – were said to be locked in crisis talks after it aired in the US.
Similar talks were said to have been had after Diana’s bombshell interview.
Diana was still part of the monarchy – but only just after she and Charles legally separated three years before.
Her scandalous interview was kept a total secret from Buckingham Palace – and within a month of it being broadcast, the Queen wrote to both Diana and Charles personally advising them to divorce.
She dropped a number of bombshells as she opened up about her life as a member of the Royal Family – similar to that of Meghan.
And after Epstein’s sex scandal hit and Andrew’s interview was made public, he dashed to Balmoral to have words with his mother the Queen.
During his notorious sit-down chat, Andrew said that he could not have had sex with 17-year-old Virginia Giuffre because on the day she alleged it happened, he was at Pizza Express in Woking for a kids’ party with daughter Beatrice.
He also insisted that he could not have “sweated profusely” due to a medical condition he claims to have developed while serving in the Falklands War as a Navy helicopter pilot.
The Sussexes have been contacted for comment.