Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex are causing “very sad” tensions within the royal family, according to the Queen’s youngest son.

The Earl of Wessex, 57, was reflecting on his father’s life and legacy on what would have been his father’s 100th birthday. The Duke of Edinburgh died just nine weeks before the anniversary.

“It’s difficult for everyone but that’s families for you…we wish them the very best of luck. It’s a really hard decision.”

“Of course, you know. I mean it’s…there are all sorts of issues and circumstances there. We’ve all been there. I stay way out of it. It’s much the safest place to be. We’ve all had that same spotlight shone on our lives. We’ve been subjected to massive intrusion and all the rest of it. We all deal with it in different ways.”

Prince Edward said when asked about Prince Harry and Meghan’s newborn girl and her name Lilibet, which is a homage to Queen Elizabeth: “Well, we just wish them all happiness. That’s fantastic news and absolutely, I hope they’re very happy.”

He was speaking only hours after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex called a BBC report “false and defamatory.” The report claimed the Sussexes didn’t ask the Queen before using her name for their daughter, citing an unidentified source.

“The Duke spoke with his family in advance of the announcement, in fact his grandmother was the first family member he called,” a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said in a statement.

“During that conversation, he shared their hope of naming their daughter Lilibet in her honour. Had she not been supportive, they would not have used the name.”

Prince Edward’s interview took place on the eve of Prince Philip’s birthday, and on the same day that the Queen paid homage to her late husband by announcing the planting of a newly-bred rose named after him at Windsor Castle.

“From a selfish point of view, we would have loved it if he had been here and been with us. But then birthdays were not necessarily his . . . he didn’t really want all the fuss and bother,He wasn’t really looking forward to the centenary, even if we were. We go ahead and celebrate what might have been and his life and I think we try to turn it into something that’s very positive.”” he said.

The ongoing split between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who formally quit their senior royal posts earlier this year and are now living in California with their second child, has overshadowed Edward and the Royal Family’s tributes.

His interview on Thursday came only a few days after he and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex talked to the Telegraph Magazine about Philip’s funeral, which was a sad day.

After the death of his 73-year husband, Prince Philip, Prince Edward stated his mother was “doing remarkably quite well”