What a day... but now what awaits?
THE new Duke and Duchess of Sussex will put duty before relaxation as they delay heading off on honeymoon.
Telling aides that they want to ‘hit the ground running’, Harry and Meghan will instead join the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at his 70th Birthday Patronage Celebration in the gardens of Buckingham Palace on Tuesday.
Postponing the honeymoon is a bold statement of intent by Harry and Meghan, a couple who have already gone out of their way to show commitment to royal service.
The celebration, with 6,000 guests, will highlight Charles’s charitable work and will be a good introduction for Meghan as she begins life as a working member of the royal family. However, the couple’s first real test will be a major overseas assignment in October: a Commonwealth tour taking in Australia – where Harry will open his Invictus Games – New Zealand, and the islands of Tonga and Fiji.
There is also talk of a week-long visit to Meghan’s adopted homeland of Canada, where she lived and filmed the hit TV series Suits. Meghan, who lived in Toronto, is close to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, but whether a visit can be squeezed in is doubtful.
It is clear that the Queen, who is always debriefed by family members after they have returned from Commonwealth visits undertaken on her behalf, plans to use this ‘power couple’ as super-envoys.
She has even entrusted one of her most loyal aides – former Assistant Private Secretary Samantha Cohen – with the job of guiding the couple during their first year of married life together.
Her Majesty also approved another appointment: that of Harry as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador. Harry and Meghan had already spoken in their engagement interview of their passion for the Commonwealth and their hopes for engaging with its young people.
It is hoped the pair will join Charles and Camilla and William and Kate in helping to exercise ‘soft power’ diplomacy.
Meghan has already seen a great deal since her engagement to Harry. Within a few months, the couple had visited every country in the United Kingdom and she appeared to take it all in her stride. Displaying characteristic confidence, she would often introduce herself without waiting for Harry to show her the way.
Meghan will be 37 on August 4, so it is likely that starting a family will be a priority. It is something they would both like.
Three years ago, after I revealed Harry was quitting the Army, I asked the Prince: ‘What are you going to do next?’ ‘You’ll probably know before me,’ he joked. But he soon became reflective, saying that he wanted to use his celebrity for the good of others.
We spoke about his plans to focus on his charity work and a desire to spend ‘a significant period abroad’ on field projects in Africa, which he later did. But mostly he was driven to give back, especially to former military colleagues, as well as to continue his mother’s legacy in helping to eradicate AIDS.
‘The Queen plans to use them as super-envoys’