A recent piece in the Daily Mail delves into what the state of the royal family is looking like one year after Harry and Meghan's decision to step down as senior royals. The couple seems happier than ever, content in their new life in California, and ready to embark on their next chapter.
The royal family wants you to know they're totally thriving, too. Everyone spent the last year finding their strengths and growing in them, as palace sources reveal. Those sources are also clear that the royal family is totally fine with Harry and Meghan not coming back. The thing is, coming back wasn't ever really on the table to begin with.
Harry and Meghan are only just taking the first steps in the next chapter of their lives. They're starting to reveal the projects at the heart of the multimillion-dollar deals they've inked with Spotify and Netflix. It wouldn't make sense for them to walk it all back now, and there's been no indications that's even in the realm of possibility. Still, some held out hope that the one-year review of the Sussex step-down would find cooler heads prevailing and a better arrangement between all parties involved.
The Daily Mail's Rebecca English recently spoke with sources close to the royal family about where everyone stands one year after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's decision to step down as senior royals. There's been a lot of back-and-forth over the year. A lot of disappointment on both sides has been aired publicly, resulting in a not-so-united family front.
In proving that the royals are OK with the state of things, a number of recent events within the family were examined. But the closer you look, the more you get the idea that no one is really OK with how things are. There was the Remembrance Day incident that saw Harry denied his request to have a wreath laid on his behalf, for example.
"People were suggesting the Palace's reaction to what Harry asked was petty. But it was the Queen's decision. And what's more, she actually had very strong views on the subject," a source told Rebecca.
"While she has enormous admiration for Harry's achievements both in and out of the military, this was seen as an example of his lack of understanding at what it means for him to be a non-working royal. The Queen is very firmly of the opinion that you can't pick and choose what you do when it comes to the institution. Either you are in — or you are out."
That lays out that the decision, which was arguably petty, was made by the Queen and then asserts that she can't be petty in standing her ground. Public sentiment seemed to disagree, but that's not the only incident cited.
It seems the royals have some feelings about the wording in the "letter for 2021" on the Archewell website. The letter begins "I am my mother’s son. And I am our son’s mother. Together we bring you Archewell."
"We believe in the best of humanity. Because we have seen the best of humanity. We have experienced compassion and kindness, From our mothers and strangers alike," it continues.
"In the face of fear, struggle and pain, It can be easy to lose sight of this. Together, we can choose courage, healing, and connection. Together, we can choose to put compassion in action. We invite you to join us. As we work to build a better world, One act of compassion at a time."
However, behind closed doors, palace sources couldn't help but notice the lack of recognition given to Prince Charles in making Harry the man he is today.
The letter came after Archewell Audio shared its first podcast episode, a holiday special where Harry and Meghan spoke before sharing thoughts and reflections of famous figures from around the globe about 2020. The podcast, the first product of the couple's deal with Spotify, also featured a cameo from the couple's 1-year-old, Archie Harrison.
Yet the royals were none too pleased. "The deals they have done since moving to California clearly show the truth of it: they simply had ambitions that were completely incompatible with being members of the Royal Family," an insider relayed.
"It was their choice to leave and seek their fortunes elsewhere. No one exiled them. Indeed, the Queen made clear she didn't want Harry and Meghan to go and that they are still very much-loved members of her family and have her support," the source continued.
"Harry and Meghan are clearly where they want to be, and good luck to them. But their subsequent career choices have scuppered any chance of retaining even a quasi-official royal role."
The thing is, Harry and Meghan have been pretty clear that royal life is not for them. So why the continued emphasis on how they won't be able to come back?
Then there was the crown emoji snafu. Oprah used the crown emoji in reference to Meghan when promoting Clevr Blends lattes after Meghan (her neighbor) sent her a gift basket. That apparently got some royals very upset.
"It just goes to underline the Queen's judgment," another source said. "You simply can't do both roles without conflict. And contrary to speculation, it was actually a pretty straightforward decision on Her Majesty's behalf.
"The Queen knows you can't have a working member of the Royal Family also being paid millions of pounds by Spotify to tell people to 'swipe and follow' their podcast, or encouraging consumers to buy a certain brand of coffee. The two are simply incompatible."
Like other sources have done, the palace sources shut down the idea of an extension on the Sussex probationary period.
"It's solely down to the choices they have made. There is no anger or animosity [on behalf of the Royal Family]. But every commercial deal that has been done by the Sussexes has been a nail in the coffin of any kind of return to royal life," the source notes. These reactions seem to err on the side of anger and animosity, but apparently there is none, so there's that.
Harry's absence has reportedly also brought William and Charles closer together. "William has realised that if he is going to make it work, he needs to be more aligned with his father and they need to work as a team," a source notes.
Harry's absence has also reportedly helped strengthen bonds between William and Kate.
"He's loosened up a lot," yet another source told Rebecca.
"They both have, in fact. As a couple William and Kate are quite cautious. People expect them to be very confident, but they aren't, not naturally anyway. Everything that's happened this year has changed that. They have done a really sterling job."
Still, don't expect those royal family fault lines to show too publicly. It's expected to be a united front when Harry returns to the UK, presumably in June for the planned unveiling at Kensington Palace of the Princess Diana memorial statue on what would have been her 60th birthday.
