Prince Harry slammed for claiming UK coronavirus crisis is not as bad as public are being told: 'Outrageous'
Prince Harry has been slammed for saying the COVID-19 pandemic is not as bad in the UK as being reported by the media. Harry was a guest on podcast ‘Declassified’ when he said that things were “better than we are led to believe through certain corners of the media”.
However, his remark was not taken well as the younger son of late lady Diana and Prince Charles reportedly made these comments despite getting a call from a nurse telling him about the lack of PPE for health workers.
Deeming his comments “outrageous”, Professor Karol Sikora, a former No10 adviser, questioned the Duke of Sussex’s qualifications as he said, “What are his qualifications for making these comments — other than deserting his country in its hour of need?” He added: “I think these remarks are outrageous.
“As for the media, I really don’t understand what Harry’s beef is. Journalists have been reporting the facts and have been doing great work in holding the Government to account. The media has also championed the NHS and become a key ally of doctors, nurses and key workers. They should be applauded, not vilified.”
Nadra Ahmed of the National Care Association also did not seem happy with Harry’s remarks, claiming the prince “hasn’t seen all the evidence”. “Some of the things I have heard are harrowing,” Ahmed said while adding health and care staff were suffering mental distress.
The total confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world have crossed over 2,000,000 with the UK having 115,317 positive cases and more than 15,000 deaths.
In the same podcast, Harry, who is currently living in Los Angeles with his wife Meghan Markle and son Archie, praised Captain Tom Moore, who has raised more than $31 million (£25 million) for the NHS. “Congratulations to Tom, I think what he's done is utterly amazing,” Harry said while applauding the 99-year-old WW II veteran.
He also said that the UK public's support for Capt Moore's efforts was "just wonderfully British".
“I’m just so incredibly proud to see what these individuals up and down the country and across the world are doing. It’s also proving that I think things are better than we’re led to believe through certain corners of the media.
“It can be very worrying when you’re sitting there and the only information you are getting is from certain news channels, but then if you are out and about or you are on the right platforms, you can really sense this human spirit coming to the forefront,” Harry added.
He also thanked NHS workers and volunteers for their efforts as they work at the forefront of the crisis risking their lives.
“I want to say a huge thank you, as we all do, to all of the NHS workers and everybody that's volunteering. It just makes me incredibly proud to see the Brits stepping up like this, but I really, really hope that this keeps going after coronavirus and after this whole pandemic has come to a close. It's about selflessness rather than selfishness and I think in today's culture, in today's world, we need more role models that are willing to put others ahead of themselves,” he said.