Prince Harry’s return to Britain could reportedly be pulling the attention away from Prince William. Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital, “William may see the return as a distraction from his popularity.” He said Harry’s renewed attention “could be an annoyance to William’s ego.”
Harry and Meghan Markle came back to Britain with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet on August 26 after six years living in California. Since then, there’s been plenty of talk about what they actually plan to do in the U.K.
A palace source told People, “The royal family still don’t know what their motives are.” Turner thinks the palace is putting limits on what the Sussexes can do in Britain. He said Harry and Markle “want to be left in peace.” Turner added that the couple wants to keep Archie and Lilibet’s lives private as well.
He also thinks they want to do charity work without looking like they’re speaking for the monarchy. There’s a catch, though. Turner noted, “The palace, I feel, are being driven by officials and maybe William to constantly undermine this return. Officially, they are making sure Harry and Meghan are not seen to be creating royal-style events.”
Things got more complicated after King Charles sent a letter through Lord Benyon, the Lord Chamberlain. The letter confirmed that Harry and Markle are still non-working members of the royal family. It also cleared up their position on charitable and commercial work.
Turner wasn’t impressed with the move. “In my mind, the act of clarification was not necessary, creating humiliation for the couple and a cowardly act by those behind the letter,” he said. The letter reportedly caught Harry and Markle off-guard, too. Their spokesperson said they were “a little surprised” they hadn’t been told about it in advance.
Their status hasn’t changed, though. Harry and Markle are still non-working members of the royal family and are treated as private citizens when carrying out their charitable and commercial work.
Meanwhile, Harry has also been pretty busy since coming back to Britain. He made his first public appearance at the Invictus Spirit Awards in London on September 17. He then headed to Birmingham the next day to launch the Invictus INSPIRE education program.
He was back in London on September 21 for the WellChild Awards before flying to New York a couple of days later. On September 23, Harry attended the Clinton Global Initiative. But that was far from his only stop. He appeared at the Skift Global Forum, too.
The Duke also joined a Diana Award panel and attended an event linked to National Geographic’s Okavango conservation project. A few days later, Harry was in Toronto for a charity skydive. Markle wasn’t with him at those appearances.
However, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told the Daily Express that she could turn up at the premiere of Close Personal Friends. She has a small cameo in the movie, playing herself. So, a red-carpet appearance for the film could give her a pretty easy reason to step out.
