Piers Morgan has said he still doesn't believe the Duchess of Sussex after he left Good Morning Britain following controversial comments he made after her interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Speaking outside his home in London this morning, Morgan said: "I don't believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth and I think the damage she's done to the British monarchy and to the Queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and frankly contemptible.

"If I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly-held opinion about Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out with in that interview, so be it."

He added: "I think it's fair to say, although the woke crowd will think that they've cancelled me, I think they will be rather disappointed when I re-emerge."

In the couple's explosive interview with Winfrey, Meghan said she felt like she "didn't want to be alive anymore".

But on Monday's Good Morning Britain, Morgan said he "didn't believe a word" of it.

His comments on the show sparked 41,000 complaints, leading to an Ofcom investigation and last night, ITV announced the presenter was leaving the show.

On Wednesday morning, Morgan posted a tweet saying he stood by his words.

He wrote: "On Monday, I said I didn't believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview. I've had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don't.

"If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I'm happy to die on. Thanks for all the love, and hate. I'm off to spend more time with my opinions."

On Monday, I said I didn’t believe Meghan Markle in her Oprah interview. I’ve had time to reflect on this opinion, and I still don’t. If you did, OK. Freedom of speech is a hill I’m happy to die on. Thanks for all the love, and hate. I’m off to spend more time with my opinions. pic.twitter.com/bv6zpz4Roe

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 10, 2021

The Duchess of Sussex formally complained to ITV about Morgan before he left the show, the Press Association (PA) news agency understands.

The complaint is understood to focus on how Morgan's comments may affect the issue of mental health generally and those attempting to deal with their own problems, PA said.

Meanwhile, a close friend of the Duchess of Sussex has claimed the royal household were "well aware of the extent" of Meghan's mental health struggles.

Actress Janina Gavankar, a friend of Meghan for some 17 years, told ITV's this morning: "While [Buckingham Palace's] recollections may vary, ours don't because we lived through it with them and there are many emails and texts to support that."

She added that the couple are "feeling free" following their interview with Oprah Winfrey and planned to turn their focus towards the environmental and humanitarian work they had bonded over initially.

She said: "Now they can get back to what they really were focused on and how they really met and fell in love, that was through humanitarian and environmental work, they have Archewell (the Sussexes's charitable organisation)."