Harry and Meghan under fire
As Harry and Meghan begin their new life they’ve been accused of ‘freeloading’ and tacky behaviour
AT 4.45PM on Valentine’s Day a commercial flight from the USA touches down at Victoria Airport, Canada. The doors swing open and after a while a woman, long dark hair a tad tousled from the trip, steps off, clutching a duffel bag and what looks like a laptop case under her arm.
Behind her a slim man in a baseball cap and jeans descends the short flight of stairs, suitcase in hand. It is, of course, Prince Harry (35) and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (38) – and these are the first pictures of the couple together since they shocked the world by announcing they were walking away from their royal duties.
A commercial flight, carrying their own luggage – big thumbs-up there. All in keeping with their new ethos of living a more normal life. Yes, there’s a small contingent of security staff accompanying them but other than that they’re behaving like lesser mortals.
Meghan’s shoes and bag also tick the right boxes. They’re pricey but hyper environmentally aware: $125 (R1 875) pumps made by a US company that turns recycled water bottles into shoes; a $1 700 (R25 500) duffel bag from Prada’s Re-Nylon range, which uses recyclable material. So far so good. Yet as the Sussexes get stuck into their new life – one of financial independence where they carve out their own way – the controversy is ramping up again.
And it seems some people in America
‘The worry is how many of these type of gigs are there going to be?’
are also turning on the couple now.
FIRST, WHAT THEY’VE BEEN UP TO
Harry’s recent appearance as keynote speaker at the Alternative Investment Summit in Miami, organised by US banking giant JPMorgan Chase & Co, was his first major engagement since “Megxit”.
The conference is “all about building wealth for future generations and making the world better for [them] – a topic close to Harry’s heart,” one insider said.
It was a glittering affair, attended by financial bigwigs and celebrities who included singer and actress Jennifer “J Lo” Lopez and her fiancé, retired baseball player Alex “A-Rod” Rodriguez. Meghan was introduced by broadcast journalist friend Gayle King, before opening the floor to her husband.
As he’s done so often in the past, Harry spoke about mental health, including his own personal struggle with trying to come to terms with the death of his mother, Princess Diana – something that kept him in therapy for seven years, he said.
He also touched on Megxit, saying that while it had been difficult for him and his wife, he didn’t regret their decision to step down.
“He said he wants to protect his family and doesn’t want Meghan and Archie to have to go through what he did as a child,” a conference attendee disclosed.
The Sussexes shared a table with J Lo and A-Rod and afterwards the couples headed out to dinner at a swanky restaurant. The Sussexes had flown to Miami by private jet and stayed at the home of tennis champ Serena Williams, another of Meghan’s inner circle.
Harry is believed to have pocketed anything from $500 000 (R7,5 million) to $1m (R15m), which puts him among the world’s highest-paid speakers.
“Over the years their earning power could be unlimited,” says Ronn Torossian, CEO of New York-based PR firm 5W Public Relations.
Harry is also rumoured to have had discussions with another US banking giant, Goldman Sachs, about appearing at its “Talks at GS” series, which has featured speakers such as actress Gwyneth Paltrow, retired footballer David Beckham and politician Hillary Clinton.
Speakers aren’t paid a fee but sources say it will pave the way for a lucrative future relationship for the Sussexes.
Renowned British PR guru Mark Borkowski says courting big banks will bring megabucks to the couple.
“They’re going to earn fortunes, whether through speeches or ambassador work – these are $1 billion ($15bn) handshakes.”
WORDS OF WARNING
But Borkowski says Harry and Meghan are treading on dangerous ground and could tarnish their image. Their appearance in Miami “shows how difficult it’s going to be.
“They’ve got to make a lot of money and they’re going to slip up on the way,” he says. “The worry is how many of these type of gigs are there going to be? How often can Harry play the mental health card?”
Landing Harr y and Meghan was “an extraordinary get” for JPMorgan Chase & Co, he adds. “They clearly have the money to afford them – but Harry and Meghan need to avoid being perceived as tacky.” And it seems even members of the American media – who have until now been largely supportive of the Sussexes – are turning on them.
Maureen Callahan, a columnist with the New York Post, wrote a scathing article slamming the couple for being pampered freeloaders cashing in on their royal identity and “not even pretending to live up to their green credentials”.
Laying into Harry for talking about his mother at
(From previous page) the summit, she added, “For the right price he’ll dredge up all that deeply personal emotional chaos, held sacred for decades, to a room full of global powerbrokers – despite zero chance any of it will elucidate or ameliorate a single real-world problem.”
Callahan, her pen dripping sarcasm, said Harry and Meghan then chose to have dinner with J Lo and A-Rod, “two of the most philanthropic and publicityshy people on the planet”.
Harry has “no scruples, no self-awareness and no shame”. Throwing in the towel with his family makes him “just another hustler out to make a buck”.
MOVING CLOSER TO MOM?
While the controversy continues to rage, Harry and Meghan are believed to be considering buying a house in or near Los Angeles, where Meghan’s mom, Doria Ragland (63), lives.
The social workerturned-yoga instructor has been a tower of strength for the couple over the past few months, with the prince increasingly seeing her as a mother figure, a source told Britain’s The Sun newspaper.
“He doesn’t have a mom whom he can turn to for advice, but he’s always been incredibly close to Doria and never more so than now.
“He has a huge amount of respect for her and for her judgment. Like any mother, Doria just wants her daughter to be happy. And that’s Harry’s No 1 priority too.”
In the surest sign yet that the Sussexes won’t be returning to the UK anytime soon, they recently took the drastic step of shutting down their London office and letting their 15-strong staff go.
“Given their decision to step back, an office at Buckingham Palace is no longer needed,” a palace source confirmed. “While the details are still being finalised and efforts are being made to redeploy people within the royal household, unf or tunately there will be some redundancies.”
The Megxit drama has been incredibly trying on the UK team, according to a royal source. “They’re all good people, loyal and brilliant at their jobs, and everyone feels incredibly sorry for them.”
GRANNY’S STILL CALLING THE SHOTS
For all the Sus
sexes’ newfound freedom, Queen Elizabeth remains the boss.
The queen recently told Harry and Meghan to return to the UK to attend the Commonwealth Day multifaith service at Westminster Abbey in London as part of their final duties as senior royals.
The annual celebration – to be held on 9 March – is attended by heads of government and representatives of the 54 countries that make up the Commonwealth, of which the queen is head.
The event is close to Her Majesty’s heart and she expects all her grandchildren to be there. Harry and Meghan are also president and vice-president of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.
It’s believed they’ll bring Archie, who’ll be 10 months old in March.
Harry and Meghan are still officially classed as senior working royals until May, when they’ll be formally cut loose.
MEANWHILE, BACK AT THE MANSION
The couple are still staying in the $14m (R210m) mansion on Vancouver Island in Canada while they decide where and when to put down more permanent roots. Friends told American magazine People that Meghan has no regrets and the sky’s the limit as far as the future goes. She’s hired an agent for future projects and has been taking meetings at home. “Meghan said her work with Disney is far from over. There are more collaborations to come,” one of the friends says. But it’s Archie who’s the No 1 priority. “It’s very much still about taking care of him and putting the family first. He’s a happy kid.”
Meghan loves cooking, practises yoga every day and goes for long walks with the dogs.
As for Harry, he hangs out with Archie all the time, the pals say.
“Archie and Harry have such a good time together. And Meghan is a great mom. She’s very much about tending to him. They’re trying to live their life as regular parents.”
BUT OLD FRIENDS CONTINUE TO FALL
While Harry and Meghan surround themselves with new friends, members of the old set are dropping like flies.
The prince has frozen out many of the longtime mates who warned him against marrying the American actress – including his former best friend, Tom “Skippy” Inskip.
Skippy and his wife, Lara, recently welcomed their first child and “some friends thought Skippy would extend an olive branch to Harry and ask him to become the godfather”, one insider says.
“But he’s decided to keep the door closed.”
The two apparently fell out after Skippy and Lara felt that Harry and Meghan hijacked their 2017 wedding in Jamaica – especially after the royal pair asked guests not to use cellphones.
“Harry has given up a lot,” an insider told Britain’s The Daily Mirror newspaper.
“His family, his friends, his home, his country, everything he knows. I hope it will be worth it.” S
‘Meghan said her work with Disney is far from over’