Prince Harry once ranked high in the esteem of the British royal family, however this week he turns forty years old with increasing rifts between public and familial relations. Prince Harry now lives in Montecito in California with his spouse, or as some call her Meghan Duchess of Sussex, and their kids Archie and Lilibet. To put it mildly, he has become further cut off both in terms of distance and emotional connection from his royal ties.
‘He is absolutely in grey,’ Pauline Maclaran a researcher at Royal Holloway University told AFP. ‘I don’t think he’ll ever come back even if there is an insignificant task to perform … we do not have any such indication that would suggest there is an official duty waiting in the wings for him.’ From the sentiments visible from why the residents of the UK seem to be in prevailing disbelief, none appears to be over awed by the pendulous their royal’s imminent return. “They don’t trust him,” echoed Richard Fitzwilliams, royals expert.
From family feud to media frenzy
The rift that has developed in the world between Prince Harry and his family has continued to deepen more since him and Meghan made the decision to step away from any royal crowns early into 2020. The explosive interview given by the famous Oprah Winfrey during which Meghan disclosed that there were talks on what color their child would be before he was even born, did a number on the how people viewed the royals. His elder sibling William did not take these allegations lightly. He said, ‘We are very much not a racist family,’ which became infrared coverage.
Even more surprising than these sentiments was the reluctance of Queen Elizabeth II to endorse the accusations: “Recollections may vary,” she explained, adding that she planned to get to the bottom of it.
But more profoundly, it was the publication of Prince Harry’s very frank memoir Spare that was perhaps the final straw that broke the Already Increased Tension Atlantic between the individual persona of Harry Campbell as well as the Sovereign. In a frank memoir, that is set to publish in October, attitude of Harry remained harsh and abusive. He called William his “pain in the back” and his “dear brother”. It was a book, which a number of royalistas viewed as a direct strike in the institution and the monarchy that has existed for many years without compromise.
“His differences from other members of the royal family would, I suspect, have been settled by now, given that any agreement is likely to have been reached at some point,’’ said Mark Garnett of the University of Lancaster, adding a bit of a warning.” In this regard, he observed, “the concept of a splintered royal family only serves to heighten negative publicity from the press.”
Locked horns with William
After sharing the same bond upon the sad loss of their mother Princess Diana, William and Prince Harry’s relation is no longer what it used to be. However, all their joint appearances since have been inappropriate. The brothers scarcely acknowledged each other during their father’s last coronation and the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II last year.
“He added, ‘Those two are like two rams who have locked horns,’ ‘And like those animals in nature, they have become entrenched and I don’t see those two reconciling for many more months than I care to imagine.’” Anger-management therapists are prevailing the change of problems with their mouths. It is reported that the two do not communicate with each other and further create speculation about the inability of reconciliation.
No turning back?
Prince Harry had been optimistic that when the family found out about his father’s cancer diagnosis, it would act as a uniting force in the family but that is not the case. In May, when Harry went for a trip to London, he and his father, Charles III, were present in separate events at the same time, but they did not meet each other. Harry even decided not to use Buckingham Palace as his place of stay, instead; he went to a hotel in London. Maclaran simply said: “He has no understanding of what damage he has been doing.”
Popularity struggles
Harry’s and Meghan’s approval ratings in the United States have been rising; their standing in the United Kingdom however remains at an all-time low. In the royal popularity ranking polls, they capture the last position along with Prince Andrew, Harry’s disgraced uncle. Lewis and his wife Catherine who is recovering from cancer are with the rest of the Britons very popular.
Of course, Prince Harry did not sit quietly. The Duke of Sussex has been absorbed in various engagements including charitable activities and the Invictus Games for war veterans. Together with Meghan, he was recently engaged in a short trip where they campaigned for mental health and equality in Colombia and Nigeria.
Yet, royal commentator Maclaran notes that it is mostly geared towards keeping them in the public eye. “It’s the titles that make them different from other celebrities,” she explained, addtionally noting that although Harry has been ostracized from the royals, Harry and Meghan still use the royal tag for headlines.
As Prince Harry marks his milestone 40th birthday today, Isaiah and Chebe who bear children to their husband bring the question you may wish to ask inwardly but which most people outwardly pose: is there a way for him to come back or is the rift with his family and, indeed, the society too deep to mend?
