When it comes to the relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the royal family, one thing’s for sure: it’s really rocky. Over the years, there have been a lot of words exchanged and bridges burned. Not many people think that any kind of reconciliation is going to happen anytime soon.
When they announced their decision to step back from their royal duties, the spokesperson for Harry and Meghan said in a statement: “As shown by their work over the past year, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are still committed to their duty and service to the U.K. and around the world. They’ve also offered their continued support to the organizations they represented, regardless of their official role.”
However, Queen Elizabeth herself “wrote to confirm that by stepping away from the work of the Royal Family, it’s not possible to keep up with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service,” according to the palace announcement. It also said: “Even though everyone’s sad about their decision, the Duke and Duchess are still much-loved members of the family.”
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – JUNE 06: (EMBARGOED FOR PUBLICATION IN UK NEWSPAPERS UNTIL 24 HOURS AFTER CREATE DATE AND TIME) Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex leaves the Rolls Building of the High Court after giving evidence during the Mirror Group phone hacking trial on June 6, 2023 in London, England. Prince Harry is one of several claimants in a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers related to allegations of unlawful information gathering in previous decades. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
The U.K. media and a lot of influential international magazines have criticized their decision to split from the royal family. But both Harry and Meghan thought it was the best thing for their family. During the Oprah interview that caused a big stir on social media, Harry defended their decision to leave Britain again. He said he didn’t want “history repeating itself,” talking about his late mother.
According to Meghan, before they split from the Firm, she and Harry asked for permission to move to another country in the Commonwealth, maybe South Africa or Canada. But the answer was a definite no.
“Anything to just… because just by being there, we were messing up the balance of the hierarchy. So we said, ‘Okay, fine, let’s get out of here. We’re happy to,'” Meghan remembered in an interview with The Cut.
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Last January, Harry published his highly anticipated tell-all memoir Spare. It sold an amazing 1.4 million copies on its first day in the UK, United States, and Canada. Spare has been released in 16 different languages around the world.
“We always knew this book would do well, but it’s even beating our most optimistic expectations,” said Larry Finlay, managing director of Transworld Penguin Random House.
“As far as we know, the only books that sold more on their first day are the ones with that other Harry (Potter).”
Even though wanting privacy and a quieter life was one of the reasons Harry and Meghan stepped down from their royal duties and left Britain, they haven’t stopped giving interviews and talking about the members of the Firm.
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In his book, among other things, Harry wrote that after Prince George was born, he wasn’t welcomed into William and Kate’s home the way he thought he would be, even though they lived close enough to walk to each other. He also called Camilla “dangerous” and talked about the argument between Kate and Meghan at the time of Harry and Meghan’s wedding. The world first heard about it during the famous Oprah interview when Meghan said Kate made her cry.
Now that Charles and Kate are both dealing with cancer, it’s been reported that Harry and Meghan reached out to them separately.
A lot of people hope that this tough time for the royal family will also be a chance for both sides to offer an olive branch.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward has said that Meghan Markle has two specific demands for reconciliation. One of them is a “groveling apology.” Seward also talked about Prince William’s position. She said he also wants a sincere apology from Harry for what he sees as years of disrespect towards him and Kate.
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Another royal expert, Tom Quinn, doubts that a reconciliation will happen. He said it’s because Meghan thinks Kate should have given her more support when she was a working royal.
Recent events, like Kate Middleton’s health issues, haven’t made the tensions any better. Even though there have been ideas about a joint family gathering, Meghan’s hesitation and the unresolved problems are still getting in the way.
Prince Harry’s upcoming visit to the UK for the Invictus Games anniversary event could maybe give them a chance to interact. But Meghan’s worries about her children’s safety and the unresolved issues are big obstacles.
With the feud being so complicated and both sides asking for apologies, it’s really not clear if they’ll be able to reconcile.
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