The royal family’s surprising reaction to Prince Harry’s return to the UK unveils a deeper issue for the Duke of Sussex.
If Harry and Charles were to gather his wife, sons, and even the dogs for a family therapy session at this moment, what recommendations would professionals make? How should the King deal with his ever-vexing and whiny son, Prince Harry?
Over the past few years, the royal family has tried various approaches with Harry, from serious and stern to emphasizing their love for him as a family member. However, nothing seems to have worked. And if there’s one lesson from the 2020s, it’s that if the Sussexes hold their titles, there will be complaints.
Recently, news has emerged that a specific detail about Harry’s appearance at last month’s coronation caused much amusement within the firm. Stand-up comedians in the US, like Chris Rock, have been mocking Harry and Meghan, and even South Park dedicated an episode to them.
Now, we have a little tidbit suggesting that the royal family, at least in this instance, is following a similar approach. Let’s set the scene: five weeks ago, the world watched a 74-year-old spend two hours donning and removing robes while receiving numerous golden items. Queen Camilla appeared tense throughout.
The entire royal family was present for this significant moment, combining ancient traditions with modern elements. Harry made a perfunctory appearance, flying back to the UK to witness his father’s coronation before promptly returning to the US, supposedly to celebrate his son Archie’s fourth birthday.
During his presence, Harry seemed to be making an effort, laughing and joking with his cousins. Unfortunately for him, this attempt was inadvertently derailed by whoever arranged the seating plan. Not only was Harry seated far back in the third row, but he was also positioned behind his aunt, Princess Anne, who looked absolutely stunning in her full military uniform as the Colonel of the Blues and Royals in the Household Cavalry. Her uniform featured a remarkable hat adorned with a striking feather on top.
And herein lies the problem, folks. Not only was Harry stuck behind Princess Anne’s iconic backcombed hairstyle, but her uniform also included the hat with the gigantic red plume. Consequently, Harry spent the entire two hours of the coronation hidden behind Anne’s headgear.
While social media had a field day mocking this moment, it appears that Harry’s relatives found it amusing as well. According to a royal insider who spoke to The Times, there was “much hilarity among the family” regarding the placement and obscuring of the plume. This doesn’t bode well for Harry.
Unfortunately, “Harry vs. the Feather” echoed the scenes from the late Queen’s funeral last September. On that occasion, Harry and Meghan were seated in the second row of Westminster Abbey, and every time the cameras turned to the royal family, the couple was hidden by a large white candle.
If we’re keeping count, this coronation was the third event in a year where Harry found himself in the second or third row for a grand royal or state occasion. I imagine even the most resilient of egos would feel compelled to lie down on their therapist’s sofa after experiencing that.
Considering the drama of the past few years, it’s understandable that the HRH responsible for steering Buckingham Palace would find themselves on the opposite side of grief, sadness, and perhaps even the desire to throw some plates against the wall.
It seems Harry has become the prince of punchlines. Perhaps the royal family is slowly revealing their barely-seen sense of humor. While they may not appear to be a bunch of jokers on the surface, behind the scenes, I imagine they have quite a wit.
Then, in May, the whole world was treated to Meghan and Harry’s story of a near-catastrophic car chase through the streets of Manhattan. However, as the story started to unravel, friends of the British royal family mocked Megan and Harry’s version of events, as reported by The Daily Beast’s Tom Sykes. A friend of William’s even quipped, “Recollections may vary,” and added, “I thought they were leaving the royal family for a quieter life. If flashbulbs give Harry flashbacks, I don’t understand why he is going to award ceremonies.”
In that same month, The Daily Mail’s Richard Eden reported that Meghan and Harry had earned the nickname “the Kardashians” in royal circles. He explained, “In tribute, it’s explained, to their appetite for accepting awards for themselves, talking about themselves, doing programs about themselves.”
If Harry and Meghan had hoped that their efforts through the Netflix docu-series and Harry’s book “Spare” would lead to regret and contrition from the royal family, prompting them to metaphorically pilgrimage to their Montecito home to beg for forgiveness, I’m guessing they’re feeling very disappointed.
Disappointed right now, a royal source spoke with spectator Cara Kennedy, stating, “Post-coronation, they are merely ignoring him and Meghan. It’s pretty clear that they are banished after all that has happened.”
Well, perhaps the most logical way to understand the royal family supposedly finding the more hilarious side to Harry’s coronation and the mockery directed at Meghan and Harry is to consider what other choices they actually have. To quote Abraham Lincoln, who borrowed the line from Lord Byron, “I laugh because I must not weep.”
Maybe I’m a little late to the party, but I believe the truth about Meghan and Harry and their race-baiting is starting to emerge in the American market as well. Initially, even I believed that Harry might be an example of Stockholm Syndrome, being Megan’s captive. However, now I’m starting to suspect that he’s always been this way, and the royal family did a good job of concealing his true nature.
It seems Chelsea dumped him when she realized that he would never take responsibility for himself and would always blame the media for his problems. Her late Majesty, the Queen, did everything possible to accommodate him, and if you follow the trail, you can see that they were planning their escape long before they got married. There is even footage out there of Oprah and Gayle King saying that the Queen knew about their departure. The only things they didn’t know for sure were the timing and the final destination.
Furthermore, Meghan Markle was actually pursuing William, but of course, he wasn’t interested in that. If you observe closely, there are many instances where Meghan should be looking at Harry with love in her eyes, but instead, she was over there trying to flirt with William.
