Members of the royal household feared Prince Harry and wife Meghan would accuse the family of racism and sexism if the crisis created by their decision to abandon their public duties to pursue money-making ventures was not resolved to their satisfaction, according to reports.

The Duke of Sussex and his American wife, who have earned negative press in recent months for their “woke” pronouncements on issues such as feminism and, in particular, climate change — while making liberal use of often publicly-funded private jets — announced they would cease performing most of their public duties and move to North America.

Initially, this has involved setting up in Canada, where the Queen still reigns, but sources suggest they have a “long-term plan” to move to Los Angeles, once President Donald Trump — who Meghan was highly critical of in her previous life as a TV starlet — is out of office.

The Queen, who was not given notice of the couple’s shock decision, has given her blessing to their “new life” — but Sunday Times journalist Tom Bradby has hinted the 93-year-old monarch may have felt she had no choice but to give into them, or risk them going public in a “no-holds-barred” interview.

“I have some idea of what might be aired in a full, no-holds-barred, sit-down interview and I don’t think it would be pretty,” remarked the journalist, a sympathetic confidante of the pair.

His newspaper noted elsewhere that “Bradby does not say what concerns they might voice, but courtiers fear she would brand the royal household racist and sexist.”

Reports: Harry and Meghan Want to Move to LA – Once Trump Is Out of Office https://t.co/RmHtrsu4j8 — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 13, 2020

Accusations of racism have been levelled at the Royal Family before, with the Queen’s husband Prince Phillip, a 98-year-old Second World War veteran, being criticised for his propensity to crack politically incorrect jokes prior to his retirement from public engagements — for example, asking Australian aboriginals whether they still “chucked spears at each other” in 2002, and congratulating a British traveller who trekked across Papua New Guinea on the fact he “managed not to get eaten” in 1998.

Harry’s father, 71-year-old Prince Charles, has also been chastised by the press for using the nickname “Sooty” for a friend with Asian roots in previous years — although the friend in question defended him, saying, “you know you have arrived when you acquire a nickname” and “I enjoy being called Sooty by my friends, who I am sure universally use the name as a term of affection with no offence meant or felt.”

Prince Harry himself has been accused of racism, too, during his Army career, with recording of him referring to a Pakistani comrade as “our little Paki friend” while he was serving in Afghanistan resulting in a Ministry of Defence investigation.

Military Losing Respect for Prince Harry, ‘Disgusted at Disrespect to Queen’ https://t.co/QUzQMuR1Dh — Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 13, 2020

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery