If you wanted to contrast the public lives of the two warring sides of the Royal Family, last weekend gave us the perfect opportunity to do so. The Princess of Wales showed, once again, that she is the Firm’s greatest public asset by completing the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge – in which participants climb Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon over the course of 24 hours – on behalf of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity, which treated her for her illness in 2024. The picture that she put on social media showed her looking exhausted, unsurprisingly, but also justifiably proud of a singular achievement that does credit to her and to the wider Royal Family, as well as raising awareness of the Royal Marsden’s work.
Harry is said to be ‘distraught’ about the decision, which is making a showy public reconciliation between him and his father look increasingly unlikely
However, what is frustrating is that this impressive accomplishment might be overshadowed in the latest development in the Sussex soap opera, namely the “will they, won’t they?” briefings about whether Harry, Meghan and their children will be heading over to Britain this summer.
The suggestion that the exiled family would not only be returning to our shores next month for events relating to the Invictus Games – due to be held in Birmingham in 2027 – but would be offered accommodation in a royal palace potentially paved the way for both a reconciliation between the king and his daughter-in-law, and a suitably heartwarming opportunity for Charles to meet the grandchildren that he has barely seen since they were born.
Alas. After the trip was announced with all due pomp and ceremony last week, it was just as swiftly scaled back. Harry has been told that he and his family will not receive taxpayer-funded security when they are in Britain, unless they are in royal residences. The issue of whether we should still be paying for bodyguards for a family who have made it very clear that they would rather live in California continues to be a much-debated one. Various contradictory reports have appeared in the press suggesting firstly that the Sussexes would be denied this security – as a series of expensive, humiliating court battles made clear – then that it would, in fact, be granted after all. Now, once again, we are told that it will not.
Harry is said to be ‘distraught’ about the decision, which is making a showy public reconciliation between him, his children and his father look increasingly unlikely.
At first glance, this looks like an unfair and even discriminatory decision, designed once again to punish Harry and make his life more difficult.
However, veteran observers of Brand Sussex might also speculate that the whole thing resembles little more than a PR stunt. There is no pressing need for Harry to be in Britain for Invictus business this year, given that the games do not take place until 2027, and the whole shebang appears to be a perfect way to air grievances about his family not being given the protection that they apparently deserve. That the Netflix millions might be usefully pressed into service to provide this security has not been remarked upon.
Nobody is denying that the Sussexes, as high-profile public figures with young children, would need a degree of protection wherever they go. That Meghan is – how best to put it? – not over-blessed with popularity in a country that she has done little to endear herself to is likely to be a contributing factor to this. Yet when compared to Catherine’s actions, her narcissistic self-regard and desire to hog the spotlight seems even more pathetic and self-indulgent than usual.
Harry proved on his last solo visit to Britain that he can still display a degree of charm and likeability when he is behaving like himself, rather than half of a commercially-minded business venture.
Should he make another trip by himself this summer, it would undoubtedly be a shame for the king not to see his grandchildren, but the rest of us might consider this a price worth paying to be spared a few days of self-aggrandising photo opportunities for the Duchess of Sussex.
Besides, there’s always Birmingham. I, for one, would happily contribute to a whip-round for private security if it led to a photo opportunity of Meghan staggering out of a curry house in the Balti Triangle. That, surely, is the homecoming that we all deserve.
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