MEGHAN ECLIPSES HARRY AGAIN
AFTER FINALLY BREAKING FREE OF THE SHADOW OF HIS OLDER BROTHER, THE PRINCE IS BEING ECLIPSED BY HIS WIFE
Waking up on September 15, Prince Harry had many reasons to celebrate. Not only was it his 37th birthday, but the Duke of Sussex was content in the knowledge that he would realise his dream of being seen as more than just the “spare heir” to the British throne due to his emergence as a power player on the international stage.
On Harry’s special day, it was announced that he and wife Meghan Markle, 40, were named among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people of 2021. A shot of the couple, taken by Pari Dukovic at their Montecito home in California, ran as one of the seven available covers of the prestigious issue.
“In a world where everyone has an opinion about people they don’t know, the duke and duchess have compassion for the people they don’t know,” chef José Andrés, who has partnered with the couple’s Archewell Foundation, wrote for the magazine. “They don’t just opine. They run toward the struggle,” he added.
In the snap that graced the front of Time, Harry posed behind the former actress with his hand resting on her shoulder, while Meghan stood in the prominent position at the front. But it wasn’t long before Harry’s joy over their success turned to despair after he was mercilessly mocked online about the photo.
Common criticisms included that the picture looked “heavily airbrushed” and the couple looked “plastic”. Multiple memes soon followed portraying Harry as a hairstylist showing Meghan her new highlights and layers.
Others went even further and revealed they thought the image was further proof that Meghan was “emasculating” the prince. “I would never want my husband to be embarrassed like this in front of the world,” US political commentator Candace Owens said.
Coming off second best is a position the prince is reportedly all too familiar with and hates.
Harry’s biographer has revealed he’s strived throughout his life to step out of the shadow of his older brother Prince William, 39, who is second in line to the British throne.
“I think Harry has got this streak – a lot of us have, but we put it to one side – of being bad and showing off,” royal expert Angela Levin said. “He is also wanting to be more important than William.”
Chairman of Reputation Management Consultants Eric Schiffer agrees, admitting he thinks the influential cover is a carefully orchestrated move by Harry to get back at his sibling. “The strategy Harry’s built is to outgun William and to be seen as the authentic prince on a global stage and it’s been beautifully executed,” he told Newsweek magazine.
The criticisms over his less prominent place on the cover of Time come just a month after Harry was called Meghan’s “sideshow act”, after he was spotted juggling outside the window during the duchess’ video announcement about her “40 for 40” initiative. The program, which was launched on August 4 to mark her 40th birthday, saw Meghan ask women to donate 40 minutes of their time to help mentor other women who are looking to get back into the workforce.
Actress Melissa McCarthy, 51, who starred in the video with Meghan, has admitted that Harry wasn’t too keen on making his cameo. “[Harry’s] like, ‘Is it going to be weird if I stand outside and juggle?’” she revealed the prince asked in an interview with Access Hollywood.
Harry has previously admitted that he feels he has a limited amount of time left to carve out his own path as he moves further down the line of succession. The prince was third in line when he was born but is now sixth in line, falling behind his older brother and Kate Middleton’s kids Prince George, 8, Princess Charlotte, 6, and Prince Louis, 3.
“I feel there is just a smallish window when people are interested in me before [William’s children] take over, and I’ve got to make the most of it,” Harry admitted to Newsweek in 2017.
• By Kylie Walters