The i Newspaper has a big feature on “what the Windsors will do about the Sussexes,” because these people still believe it’s 2019 and they have control over what Prince Harry and Meghan do and where they will go. It’s been six years of stubborn refusal from royal reporters and the left-behind Windsors, a refusal to acknowledge that they’re not in charge of Harry and Meghan’s lives. Within this same ecosystem, there’s been a constant reiteration back-and-forth that obviously, Harry and Meghan will eventually run out of money, and they’ll obviously come crawling back, and then we’ll really punish them and we’ll tell them they can’t come back!! This lurid fantasy has taken hold at every level – King Charles believes it, as do the most delusional Derangers and everyone in-between. Well, the i Newspaper broke up their analysis into three essays by royal-commentator types. I won’t bother with Richard Palmer or the other woman’s pieces, but Tessa Dunlop seems to be the only one willing to actually speak some truths. Some highlights:
Harry & Meghan still regularly appear on the covers of British papers: Somewhat incongruously given the current state of the world, the Sussexes still made front page news 10 days ago in several Sunday tabloids. Lifted from extracts of author Tom Bower’s new book was the suggestion Camilla told a nameless friend that Meghan “had brainwashed Harry”. Just the sort of off-the-cuff remark one might expect from a (step) mother-in-law in the face of the unfamiliar. After all, Meghan’s Californian chic was always the antithesis of Camilla’s humdrum. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hit back at the comments accusing Bower of “deranged conspiracy and melodrama”.
The Sussexes & the British psyche: It is the attention afforded to this ancient gossip that reminds us of how central the Californian-based couple remain in the British psyche. The Sussexes’ detractors long to lump them in with Andrew as dead weights, ex-royals who need to be extricated once and for all from the hereditary fold. The older brigade of commentator look forward to a beady-eyed King William following through on his promise of “change”. Many read this veiled threat enunciated by William in Eugene Levy’s The Reluctant Traveller as the last rites for the entitled (and still titled) Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Subsequently Bower has claimed: “The unpredicted and unimagined humiliation of Andrew shocked Harry. Rightly, Harry fears that the future King William could remove all the Sussexes’ titles and effectively banish him from Britain.”
Enough with the punishment fantasies: It is poppycock. While correct to identify William as more ruthless than his father, the establishment brigade of royal experts are horribly naive if they believe the Sussexes can be ruthlessly expunged from the Windsors’ story without further damage to monarchy.
King Charles must broker a peace: And here is where the King comes in. It is up to Charles, and what remains of his reign, to broker peace with the Duke of Sussex….The Harry rupture has happened under Charles’s care and on his watch – the unhappy childhood, the dysfunctional relationships, the on-going impasse. It is not enough to say “dear boy” and hope the problem magically goes away. Charles is the defender of the faith, and if world peace is currently beyond the grasp of man and king, surely domestic bliss, if only of the performative sort, is within reach?
The Sussexes are fine: After all, in the great scheme of things are Harry and Meghan really so bad? For the last couple of years the pair have maintained a Montecito lifestyle without the continued denigration of their family that hallmarked their exit in 2020. Nowadays there is expensive jam, international tours and charitable galas. If Netflix’s recent efforts to divest itself of Meghan’s As Ever lifestyle brand and produce speak to rockier financial times ahead, globally the Sussexes remain sought after, with speculation about their pending Australia trip plentiful.
The Sussexes are relevant: On the world stage where Britain’s royal family have traditionally been in the vanguard promoting our nation’s brand, the Duke and Duchess remain hugely relevant. Old codgers vituperate and hate on them for their lucrative Instagram vibes, but out there in the global ether Haz and Megs still matter and as long as they remain frozen out of monarchy’s story they detract from the value of our dwindling royal assets.
Charles has a chance to do the right thing: The inclusive gesture would suit Charles; ironically what we know of the King’s political opinions and domestic setup suggest he is more liberal and tolerant than either his mother or his inflexible eldest son. Forgiveness is in every father’s gift, and as the symbolic father of our nation surely the least we can expect is compassionate leadership. Whether petulant Harry chooses to accept it is another matter. By all accounts Camilla’s alleged “brainwashed” comment stung, but at least the old King could live out the remainder of his reign in the knowledge that he has tried to improve relations before William ushers the “change” on his agenda.
While there’s a lot to unpack, I’ve unpacked most of this many times before so I’m not going to go on a full rant about this. One, “Whether petulant Harry chooses to accept it is another matter…” I’ve always wondered why Charles simply refuses to position himself as the bigger man, the conciliatory king who shows kindness to his ginger son. Instead, Charles and William are the ones who look petulant, childish and sullen, stomping their feet and throwing tantrums every time Harry and Meghan step outside. Those are the optics they want to project for some reason. Two, Dunlop is one of the few to actually say the thing, which is: even if you take away their titles, it doesn’t mean a damn thing. The Windsors believe they’re holding those titles over Harry and Meghan’s heads, like the titles are the only reason why anyone cares about H&M. I like that Dunlop says… with or without the titles, Harry and Meghan are always going to be relevant, charismatic and in-demand globally.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
