Unwelcoming his son. King Charles is reportedly exiling Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. A source close to the new reigning monarch told the Daily Beast about the future plans of what the King wants to do with his son and his daughter-in-law.
The source referred to the abdication of Edward VIII being a precedent to why King Charles would exile his son. “The royals handled the abdication crisis by exiling Edward which meant he and Wallis ultimately came to seem like unimportant, misguided, disloyal, and even treacherous individuals to almost the entirety of the British people. It was a masterful operation in the service of which the Queen Mother, in particular, worked tirelessly.” The source continued, “The same thing is already happening with Harry and Meghan, and will only gather pace over the next few years under the rule of King Charles. And of course, a wayward second son is far less of an existential threat to the fabric of the monarchy than a wayward king.”
Another source who previously worked at Buckingham Palace also revealed the logistics of the coronation and how it will further incite Harry and Meghan’s exile. “Harry and Meghan will get an invite to the coronation but they will be firmly seated in the cheap seats along with [Princesses] Beatrice and Eugenie, as they were at the funeral. That will be it. Charles will be ruthless when it comes to protecting the Crown, and that means keeping Harry and Meghan as far from the center of gravity as possible,” the former staffer said.
The exile update emerged after reports of Meghan and Harry still being uneasy with the Royal Family after Queen Elizabeth’s death. Royal expert Christopher Andersen explained to Us Weekly on September 13, 2022, “Harry and a Meghan still are uneasy.” He continued “We’ve seen that in a recent interview that Meghan gave. It’ll take an awful lot, I think, for those to get things back to where they were, and it’s all sad.”
Andersen is referring to Meghan’s latest interview with The Cut where she talks about the restrictions that The Firm gave her before she and Prince Harry stepped down from their Royal Family duties. “There’s literally a structure by which if you want to release photos of your child, as a member of the family, you first have to give them to the Royal Rota,” The Suits alum explained about the U.K. press. “Why would I give the very people that are calling my children the N-word a photo of my child before I can share it with the people that love my child. You tell me how that makes sense and then I’ll play that game.”
Harry and Meghan left their royal duties in 2020 and subsequently moved to California. Though they have made appearances at different UK events like Prince Philip’s funeral and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, they still have a rock relationship with the Royals. For the first time in a while, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a public appearance with Prince William and Kate Middleton right after the Queen’s death. The newly appointed Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were together looking at the tributes to the late Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Kensington Palace says William invited his brother and sister-in-law to join him and Kate. Earlier in the day, William was present for his father’s proclamation as King. The couples who were wearing all black looked fondly at the flowers and messages of support to the Queen and her family. “We are all very grateful – both sides putting all things aside for the Queen,” a Royal source told Page Six.
In his statement on the Archewell website, Prince Harry gave tribute to all the fond memories he had with his grandmother when she was alive. “Granny, while this final parting brings us great sadness, I am forever grateful for all of our first meetings — from my earliest childhood memories with you, to meeting you for the first time as my commander in chief, to the first moment you met my darling wife and hugged your beloved great-grandchildren. I cherish these times shared with you, and the many other special moments in between. You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the world over. And as it comes to first meetings, we now honor my father in his new role as King Charles III.” He also mentioned how she and her husband Prince Philip are reunited. “We, too, smile knowing that you and grandpa are reunited now, and both together in peace.”
Image: Courtesy of Random House.
For more about the British royal family, check out Sally Bedell Smith’s 2012 biography, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch
. The New York Times bestseller, which includes the “real story” behind several storylines featured in Netflix’s The Crown, follows Queen Elizabeth II’s life from her childhood as the “heiress presumptive” to her father, King George VI; to the moment he met her husband, Prince Philip, when she was 13 years old; to her ascension to the throne at 25 years old in 1952. Elizabeth the Queen, which also includes interviews with Buckingham Palace sources and never-before-revealed documents, provides a deep dive into the Queen’s legacy as one of the most famous monarchs in recent history.
