Prince and Princess of Wales visit Liverpool in first public outing since Harry's book release
ITV News Royal Editor Chris Ship reports from Liverpool where the Prince and Princess of Wales were meeting healthcare workers
The Prince and Princess of Wales were questioned about the Duke of Sussex’s controversial autobiography as they carried out their first official engagement since its publication - with one visitor telling the future king to “keep going”.
Harry’s fraught relationship with William and Kate is laid bare in his memoir Spare which has become the fastest selling non-fiction book in history, according to its publisher.
The couple toured the new Royal Liverpool University Hospital and smiled, joked and posed for a large number of selfies with NHS staff they thanked for their efforts during the winter months.
When they first arrived, a man in an outside area reserved for the media shouted out a question, and, in the blustery conditions, appeared to say: “Do you ever plan to comment on Harry’s book sir?”
They ignored the question and, after being welcomed by senior figures from the hospital, began their tour of the critical care ward, meeting nurses and other staff looking after seriously ill patients.
At the end of the visit they met hospital volunteers in the building’s atrium and went on an extensive walkabout, shaking hands, praising staff and posing for selfies with the excited NHS workers.
One elderly woman, who had an appointment at the hospital, stood against a barrier waiting to talk to the future King and when he stopped she grasped his hand.
The 81-year-old, who only gave her first name Sylvia, said “Keep going Will, scousers love you”, and he replied, “I will do”.
Hospital staff member Nikki Langley, who works in administration, was left overjoyed when a smiling William posed for a selfie with her and three colleagues, the five all crowding into the image.
A few minutes later she asked Kate for a picture and the princess joked “I’m going to be told off by William” before posing with Ms Langley, who said afterwards: “It was a nice surprise, a very nice surprise. I wasn’t surprised they stopped for a selfie.”
Penguin Random House, which published Harry’s controversial autobiography, reported that more than 1.4 million copies were sold on the first day it went on sale.
It includes claims the Prince of Wales physically attacked Harry and teased him about his panic attacks, and that the King put his own interests above Harry’s and was jealous of the Duchess of Sussex and the Princess of Wales.
Reports of a fractious friendship between Meghan and Kate were confirmed in Spare, with Harry recounting how the princess, pregnant at the time with Prince Louis, said she was owed an apology from his wife who had previously commented Kate was suffering from "baby brain" due to her "hormones".
He shed further light on the row over Princess Charlotte’s bridesmaid dress claiming, contrary to reports at the time, Kate was not in tears but the incident had left Meghan "sobbing on the floor".
During a series of interviews to promote Spare, Harry defended himself against strong criticism, following his revelation in the book he killed 25 Taliban members during the Afghanistan war.
He denied boasting about the killings, when interviewed by Stephen Colbert on CBS’s The Late Show, and claimed members of his family are in an active campaign to "undermine" his autobiography.
The King also carried his first official engagement since the publication of his son’s book, visiting the community of Aboyne, close to the late Queen’s Balmoral estate in Aberdeenshire, to tour the Aboyne and Mid Deeside Community Shed and meet local hardship support groups.
A YouGov poll has found the popularity of Harry has fallen since his book was published with 68% of 1,691 adults, polled on Tuesday and Wednesday, having a negative opinion about him while 24% thought positively.
The online research data group said the figures meant the duke had his lowest ever net favourability rating of minus 44, down from minus 38 last week, which had been his previous record low.
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