The Royal Family has had a tumultuous few years. Prince Andrew has been embroiled in the investigations into Jeffrey Epstein, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry made shocking allegations of racism and poor treatment before they left the firm, and the Queen’s beloved husband, Prince Philip, died. But the show must go on, and the Queen has announced her desire for Camilla to be Queen Consort, while preparations for Prince Charles’s accession ramp up, despite the fact that he has Covid, again.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, joined the ranks of royals who opted out of the fold in 2019 when they decided to take their family and move to Meghan’s native California. Opinion has been hugely divisive since the family left the UK, with some praising their bravery, while others condemned their perceived betrayal.
A fresh snub came this week when it was claimed Prince Charles will not include the Sussexes in his coronation plans. A source told the Mail on Sunday the Prince of Wales was aiming for a smaller ceremony and said Meghan and Harry weren’t expected to be part of it.
The source said: “It will be a slimmed-down Monarchy on display throughout. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see just Charles and Camilla, Kate and William and their children on the Buckingham Palace balcony afterwards.” The paper said that plans are being drawn up under the codename Operation Golden Orb for Prince Charles’s streamlined coronation.
Clarence House has denied that such plans were in place. Claims are emerging that Prince Harry’s memoir, due to be published in late 2022, will “shake the monarchy to its core”. After the Oprah interview fallout, the royal publicity team will be getting nervous about what the loose cannon Duke might say.
According to the Mail Online, friends of Harry, 37, have warned his book is no-holds-barred, and could be particularly harsh towards his stepmother, Camilla. Harry has collaborated on the book with Pulitzer-winning ghostwriter JR Moehringer. His publishers have described it as “the definitive account of the experiences, adventures, losses, and life lessons that have helped shape him”.
The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William are said to have been completely blindsided by Harry’s announcement that he has been secretly working memoir for more than a year now. His friends told the Mirror: “If they think he’s gone soft, they are mistaken. Just wait for the book to come out because that will shake the monarchy to the core”.
