The timeline became pretty clear in recent days: around Trooping the Colour (June 13), the Windsors learned that the Sussex family would be coming to the UK, and that Prince Harry had given his 28-day notice to RAVEC. Granted, the left-behinds had known that Harry was due in Birmingham for the Invictus events for a while, so they had time to prepare, and they really did prepare something catastrophically evil. Still, I think they were surprised that Meghan and the children were willing to come, at least at first. So the Windsors have thrown together a rather epic fiasco all around Harry’s visit. The rescinded invitation to stay in a royal residence, the “paused” RAVEC risk assessment, the talking points issued to royal reporters far and wide blaming Harry for the emergency roadblocks they set up. Alongside all of that, the left-behinds have obviously organized a full slate of busywork as “counterprogramming” for Harry’s visit.
The Royal Family intend to ‘shut out the noise’ from the ongoing saga of Prince Harry’s visit to the UK this week with a slew of public engagements. Senior working royals have more than 29 official duties already scheduled in their diaries starting today, when the Duke of Sussex arrives in Britain, and Saturday, when his final public appearances conclude.
Most of the engagements have been long planned and will see almost all of the senior working royals out on public duty. In addition, the King will undertake several private audiences and meetings which are not highlighted in the diary in advance.
There has been concern in royal circles of late that the constant ‘psychodrama’ surrounding the Sussexes’ ‘will they, won’t they’ family trip – the first time they would have all come together to Harry’s country of birth for four years – would overshadow the valuable work being undertaken by senior royals.
…There has, however, been intense frustration that what should have been a drama–free trip, allowing the King to reconnect with his son and grandchildren, has been turned into another soap opera of Harry and Meghan’s own making.
“There has, however, been intense frustration that what should have been a drama–free trip…” It could have been drama-free if King Charles wasn’t such a petty, childish deadbeat. It could have been drama-free if Prince William and Kate hadn’t spent the past two weeks throwing tantrums and trying to sabotage the visit. But the counterprogramming schedule… well, that was predictable. They were going to do that no matter what, because they never learn. William and Kate did the same thing last September, suddenly working on back-to-back days ahead of Harry’s solo visit and during his visit. William challenged the rota to cover his events instead of Harry’s. The rota chose Harry. They’ll do the same for this visit too, and it will be funny as hell. I actually hope one or two people show up to William’s events so they can film him staggering past empty barricades.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
