A PALACE IN CRISIS
THE SUSSEXES EXPLOSIVE TELL-ALL INTERVIEW WITH OPRAH WINFREY IS SET TO ROCK THE MONARCHY, WHILE AILING HEALTH FORCES PRINCE PHILIP INTO HOSPITAL
It’s the news the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been dreading since they revealed their intention to step down as full-time working royals in January 2020. As Buckingham Palace confirmed the couple were being stripped of their final royal patronages following their 12-month review, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle couldn’t help but fire one final shot of defiance at the Queen on their way out. In a statement released by the palace on February 19, Queen Elizabeth, 94, said she was “saddened by their decision” not to return to the fold but added the pair “remain much loved members of the family”.
But hinting at the still-simmering tensions hiding just below the surface within the royal family, the couple hit back minutes later with a statement of their own. In it, Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, pledged their intention to continue supporting their previous patronages “regardless of an official role”. They then appeared to take a dig at the charitable work of the wider royal family. “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal,” they remarked.
The couple, who recently revealed they are expecting their second child, are believed to have hoped they could still represent the Queen while being “financially independent” through commercial endeavours, such as their content creator deals with Netflix and Spotify – which are reportedly worth as much as $260 million. However, Her Majesty was forced to put her foot down and tell the couple a half in-half out approach wouldn’t cut it. “Being a Royal is all about public service, not serving yourself. If public service is not your primary purpose, and making money is, then it’s impossible to represent the Queen,” a source told UK newspaper the Daily Mail.
The shocking response from the duke and duchess, who quit their royal roles less than two years after their May 2018 wedding, stunned royal watchers. Some called the prince out for having the audacity to criticise his grandmother, who’s ruled the British throne for 69 years. “It’s an insult for the Queen, who has dedicated her whole life to her people, to be lectured on service by Harry and Meghan,” said one on social media. And it isn’t just members of the public who were blown away by the outburst. The Duke of Cambridge, 38, is also reportedly “really sad and genuinely shocked” over the words of his younger brother. The once-close siblings have been working hard to put their feud behind them, but there are fresh fears they will never reconcile following the very public dressing down Harry gave the royal family.
Sources close to William told British newspaper The Times he believed Harry and Meghan had been very “insulting and
disrespectful” to their grandmother and he was “very upset by what has happened”.
The fresh round of infighting couldn’t come at a worse time for Elizabeth, who is reeling after Philip was admitted to hospital on February 14. While the palace released a statement at the time to say he was admitted as a “precautionary measure after feeling unwell”, grave fears are held for the prince’s health – his 100th birthday is rapidly approaching on June 10.
Philip has been a constant source of support to his wife during their 73 years of marriage. “He has, quite simply, been my strength all these years, and I ... owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know,” the Queen said while celebrating their 50th anniversary.
Prince Charles, 72, was seen visiting his father at Kind Edward VII Hospital in London on February 20. The heir to the British throne looked visibly upset following the meeting with tears in his eyes. The prince sat with his father for around half an hour, at a time when UK hospitals only allow visits “in exceptional circumstances because of the coronavirus pandemic”.
And Charles isn’t the only member of the family who has concerns for the elderly royal. Despite the recent issues with his family, Harry is believed to be isolating at his home in Montecito, California, so he can quickly return to be by his grandfather’s side if his health deteriorates further. “Harry is of course concerned for his grandfather’s welfare and is being kept regularly informed on his condition,” a source told British newspaper The Mirror. “He has chosen to stay in case he is required to return to the UK at short notice.”
In addition to his fears for his grandfather, the Duke of Sussex has also been rocked by having to hand back his patronages with the Rugby Football Union, Rugby Football League and the London Marathon Charitable Trust, as directed by the Queen. What he finds especially painful about the process though, is losing his remaining honorary military titles.
The prince undertook two operational tours in Afghanistan while serving in the British Army and started the Invictus Games – a Paralympic-style competition in which wounded, injured or sick active service personnel and veterans take part in nine sports.
“His military work is one of the most important things to him,” a friend of the prince told The Times. “Of course he wants to keep them.”
But it’s believed that the Queen was left with no choice but to take drastic action, after it was revealed the couple were planning to do a 90-minute tell-all interview with TV star Oprah Winfrey – without telling Her Majesty first!
“The reality of not being able to have their cake and eat it is finally dawning on [Harry]. I’m sure it’s really painful for him,” another source explained. “He is very upset to be in this spot.”
But the Sussexes have made their choices. Adds the source, “They have lots of exciting things to work on, and that can be done with everyone’s best wishes. But you cannot confuse representing the institution and the head of state with the sort of commercial operations that they intend to run.”
• By Kylie Walters
“He is very upset to be in this spot”
– SOURCE