If the Sussexes were a bull in a china shop, imagine all the plates they would smash – because they’re so belligerent and thick-skinned, they refuse to ever take a backward step. Bulls-aside, they certainly are upsetting some apple carts since they jetted into the UK last month to start a new chapter in their lives back in Blighty – six years after their controversial Megxit.
On landing in Britain by private jet, it wasn’t long before Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were slapped with an edict courtesy of King Charles himself, reminding government officials that the pair were still not ‘working royals’. Crucially the Buckingham Palace statement also made clear to all that Harry and Meghan should be treated as “private citizens,” so in other words don’t treat them as official representatives of the Royal Family.
Belligerent to the last, that prompted the couple to make it clear they would instead prefer to be described as ‘public figures’ – i.e. celebs and VIPs.
Now a new report claims the Sussexes could be on a “collision course” with Palace courtiers as they “won’t walk away” from their pseudo royal duties.
A source told Woman and Home: “It is their belief that they have a great deal to offer charities and good causes that could benefit from their support.
“If the King thought that issuing that letter would simply make them fade away, he will be deeply disappointed.”
They added that there is “no way” Harry will “step back or walk away” from the Invictus Games initiative or his work with the WellChild charity.
“It is no exaggeration that this is likely to put them on a collision course with the Palace,” the souce said.
We have seen this hybrid, quasi-royal positioning from the Sussexes before they returned to the UK, when they first flew to Jordan in February for what appeared to all as a ‘royal tour’ – despite the pair not being working royals.
It was their first international trip as a couple for two years, and heavily publicised as they sought to portray themselves as on a par with Prince William and Princess Catherine on an official royal engagement.
Then again they repeated the Jordan stunt with a short tour of Australia in April when they tried to recreate – with very mixed results – their hugely popular, 16-day post-wedding tour of Down Under in 2018.
It feels now that Harry and Meghan are playing a game of ‘chicken’ with palace officials. They will keep powering forward with cementing a role for themselves as ‘royals who work’ – even if they are not classed as ‘working royals’.
At some stage this will come to a head – and it could get very public and very ugly.
