PRINCE Harry risks deepening the rift with the royal family by accepting a human rights award for tackling racism, according to Jennie Bond.

The royal expert’s comments come after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were awarded the Ripple of Hope award from the Robert F Kennedy Human Rights organisation.

Ms Bond told GB News: “It’s put the Sussexes in a rather difficult position, I think.

“Do they say no, we don’t want to even acknowledge that you’re offering this award? Do we go and accept it in person? Perhaps the middle way of just accepting it, but not turning up, is something.

“I think if they do go along and accept this award on a public stage, yeah, it’s going to make things even worse, the rift could be even deeper.”

In an interview during Breakfast with Martin Daubney and Isabel Webster on GB News, she continued: “I feel very, very cross about this award being even offered to the Sussexes because by offering it, it is a tacit accusation…that there is structural racism within the royal family. I do not think that’s the case.

“The Commonwealth, which is largely made up of people of colour, is hugely important, and hugely important to our late Queen and to King Charles, as he made clear yesterday.”

Commenting on last night’s state banquet she added: “It was really quite something, and a very important speech also by King Charles. I think it was important that he should acknowledge the relationship and the history between South Africa and the UK and he did that.

“Around our former colonies the cries, not just for acknowledgement of the past but for reparation, are loud, as we saw on the Caribbean tour of Kate and William earlier in the year.”

“But this time, King Charles took the first opportunity to say we must acknowledge the wrongs which have shaped our past and in that way, we can move forward to a common future.

“And he talked with the profound sorrow of our history, wisdom probably didn’t go as far as many in Caribbean and South African places like that would wish, but it was certainly an acknowledgement of our history on a very important stage.”

“I think it’ll go down very well with the public, I think it’s important that our head of state should acknowledge the past. We can’t wait it out.

“But acknowledging it, surely, I think will be the least we can do. And I think many people will be proud of the King for taking a stand.”