William and Kate's awkward reaction when asked about Harry's wish to 'protect' the Queen

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in the Netherlands at the weekend to kick off the Invictus Games, a sporting competition set up by the Duke of Sussex for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women.

It is their first joint public trip back to Europe since the couple announced they were stepping down as senior royals in early 2020 and moved overseas to settle in California, US with their two children, Archie Harrison and Lilibet Diana.

Before they arrived in The Hague, they made a secret visit to the UK to see the Queen and Prince Charles. Although Harry later declined to comment on his relationship with Prince William and his father, the Prince of Wales, he did discuss his 'nice catch up' with his grandmother and revealed that he and Meghan had tea with the monarch.

However, one comment in particular that the Duke of Sussex made has sparked a flurry of headlines.

During an interview with NBC, Harry said he wanted to 'protect' the Queen, stating: 'I'm just making sure she's protected and [has] got the right people around her.'

While he did not comment further on exactly what he meant by this or who he was referring to, reporters asked Prince William and Kate Middleton for their thoughts as they left the London headquarters of the Disasters Emergency Committee yesterday.

But it became a little bit awkward when one broadcaster asked William: 'Sir, does the Queen need protecting?'

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge smiled and ignored the question, then continued to walk to their waiting vehicle.

Since their brief visit to see the Queen, it has been reported that she has invited the Sussexes to join her for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations, and asked the couple if they would like to join the family on the Buckingham Palace balcony.

But it is unclear if Harry and Meghan will attend due to ongoing issues around their security in the UK.

We'll have to wait and see!

Jadie Troy-Pryde
News Editor

Jadie Troy-Pryde is News Editor, covering celebrity and entertainment, royal, lifestyle and viral news. Before joining the team in 2018 as the Lifestyle and Social Media Editor, she worked at a number of women’s fashion and lifestyle titles including Grazia, Women’s Health and Stylist, and now heads the Marie Claire UK news desk.