He has praised Meghan, saying: 'She's a person of profound humanity and deep concern for people, seeking to carry out her role with every ounce of her being – and I think she's a remarkable person.'

In 2021 he expressed sympathy for Harry, telling the Financial Times that being in the Royal Family was 'life without parole' and the public expected them to be 'superhuman'.

The relationship between Welby and the Sussexes has been known in the corridors of Lambeth Palace and Buckingham Palace for some time.

'The closeness of the Archbishop and the Sussexes has been a subject of conversation for a while,' said one well-placed source.

'Justin clearly had a lot of sympathy for them [over Megxit] and we were shaking our heads wondering why he felt so sorry for them. It was like he had completely fallen under their spell.'