Expert disappointed by Meghan Markle's claim about Princess Lilibet: 'such shame'

Princess Lilibet's "great tragedy" has been highlighted by former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle conclude their recent international tour of Colombia. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent four days in the South American country, addressing the issue of online harm for children. At the Afro Women and Power Forum, Meghan Markle remarked that her three-year-old daughter, Lilibet, has "found her voice."

The Duchess added: "We’re so proud of that, because that is how we create the conditions in which there’s a ripple effect of young girls and young women knowing that someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and be heard."

Discussing the remarks, Cole told GB News that Lilibet's "great tragedy" is the fact that she has not yet met the Royal Family, as well as her grandfather Thomas Markle.

Cole explained: "I think what that little child won't be saying is 'hello, grandpa', which is a great, great tragedy, because she hasn't met King Charles, she hasn't met Thomas Markle, her maternal grandfather - it's such a shame.

"They go around the world and they're trying to do good, and we welcome the good, but you've got to actually take that home."

Highlighting the ongoing distance in relations between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and the Royal Family back in the UK, Cole added that if they "can't make bridges within their own family", then "what hope have they got in making bridges to other communities, other faiths, and other beliefs".

When asked about the work of the Sussexes in Colombia, Cole argued that their activism on global issues would have been a "great asset" to the Royal Family, had they stayed in their roles as senior working royals.