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Come on home?
Prince William and Prince Charles have been “reaching out” to a “fragile” Harry, as they try to “rebuild” the relationship between the three princes, The Sunday Times says today.
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“They are trying to rebuild the relationship between Charles and Harry and indeed between William and Harry,” a source says, “They are phoning him and trying to talk to him and extending a friendly hand.”
It has also been made clear to Harry and Meghan that if they ever wanted to return to the U.K. full-time, they could do so without having to resume their official royal duties, amid concerns that the inability of the family to prevent media stalking of the couple overseas might destroy their plans.
The Sunday Times quotes royal sources saying: “The palace are very worried about the Sussexes, because they are vulnerable outside the embrace of the family,” a source said.
“They are making contingency plans in case the Sussexes suddenly turn round and say: ‘Can we come back under your wing?’”
Harry and Meghan kept Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate as their British base, and a courtier says: “You could bring them back to Frogmore to look after them. They wouldn’t return to royal duties, but they could have a period of rehabilitation and recuperation,” a source said.
“You see the way it has disintegrated over there in the last few days. What is happening is that they are being told that there is love and affection on standby… There’s no timeline here. But everybody agrees that this is a fragile couple. Nobody is going to say, no they can’t come back.”
However, don't hold your breath. Meghan is believed to have abandoned plans to become a U.K. citizen, her move to Canada having dashed efforts to show a “strong commitment to the U.K. and an intention to live here,” sources tell The Sun.
That big Meghan Markle interview? Ellen’s “excited,” but she may have to wait a while
As part of their agreement to exit the royal family, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry agreed that “everything they do will continue to uphold the values of Her Majesty.”
This came after various rumors that Meghan could reveal the sexism, racism, and classism in royal life as part of a big stateside TV interview.
Quite how the Sussexes plan to square the dish or not dish dilemma sprang into life this week, as Ellen DeGeneres emerged as the lead contender to get the interview—until the rumor was quickly shot down.
According to the Daily Mail, Meghan is planning to give a big TV interview to Ellen DeGeneres. A friend said, “[Meghan] said Ellen understands her pain and suffering. That she epitomizes authenticity. [Meghan] feels like they are kindred spirits.”
“Ellen and Meghan have already discussed a sit-down interview,” a source at Ellen’s chat show told the Mail. “That's been in the works for quite some time now.”
Ellen and Meghan apparently met coincidentally at a Los Angeles dog shelter—of course, they did, it’s so absurdly Hollywood—and Ellen encouraged Meghan to adopt her first dog Bogart.
If Meghan does grant the first interview to Ellen, it would be a snub to Oprah Winfrey, who was thought to be a front-runner if a major TV interview was arranged—and who attended Meghan and Harry’s wedding.
Ellen has already spoken on TV about holding and feeding baby Archie, while on a visit to London.
However, a “royal source” told People, that reports Meghan was planning on sitting down with Ellen or any other interviewer were “categorically untrue.”
Still, the question remains: if and when Meghan chooses to talk, what will she tell?
Vote Meghan
Meghan might use her newfound freedom to become more “politically engaged” and could even intervene in the U.S. presidential election, the Daily Mail reports.
Quoting a royal source, the paper says: “The Duchess is said to be frustrated that she was forced to stay out of politics after getting engaged to Harry. She has strong political opinions and will now take advantage of the greater freedom she has to express them publicly.”
Before she met Harry, the American actress attacked Donald Trump for being 'divisive' and “misogynistic,” and refused to meet him during his state visit to the U.K. in May. She has reportedly previously told friends she dreams of running for President one day.
Sources close to the duchess dismissed the story as “gossip,” the Mail reports.
Meghan: I was doing this charity thing before I was a royal
Meghan Markle wants the world to know that her charitable endeavors pre-date her being a member of the royal family.
On Friday, via the Sussex Royal Instagram page, Meghan and Harry posted a message, highlighting that Meghan’s campaigning around access to education was something she “focused on this both prior to becoming a member of the Royal Family and now as patron of The Association of Commonwealth Universities.”
To mark the International Day of Education, the message continued, “Working closely with CAMA, both The Duke and Duchess recognize the benefit both personally and to society at large when a young girl has access to education. On their recent tour to Southern Africa, The Duke supported the initiatives of @Camfed on the ground in Malawi.
“Over the years, The Duchess has worked in developing communities, such as in Rwanda and India, to find the hindrances to girls’ ability to go to school and furthermore to stay in school. These can include lack of access to clean water, stigma surrounding MHM, cultural taboo, and many more reasons... As President and Vice President of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust, The Duke and Duchess thank all those who are working to give access to education for all.”
William and Kate “reeling” from Harry and Meghan’s departure
If you thought that William and Kate might be a tad relieved or happy to have a resolution to the recent royal turmoil of Harry and Meghan’s royal exit, think again.
Royal expert Katie Nicholl says William and Kate are “reeling” from Harry and Meghan’s exit from the royal family. Nicholl told Entertainment Tonight that William and Kate were “coming to terms with the reality of this situation, adding, “The severity of what happened has had a huge impact on William and Kate.”
Mom’s the word
The Daily Mail reports that Meghan’s mom Doria has emerged as a “silent but steely” influence behind the couple’s departure from the Royal family, whose advice the couple value deeply.
“Harry in particular turns to her for advice,” said a former confidante of 63-year-old Doria. “She is like the Queen—she never complains and never explains.
“She’s laid-back... has a core of steel. Underestimate her at your peril. Meghan has always trusted her completely but she has become a rock to Harry who, of course, lost his own mother so young…for Harry her discretion and silence mean the world.”
This week in royal fashion
Kate’s increasing center stage presence continues. Meghan and Harry are now out of the day-to-day royal picture. On Monday, just after Harry had flown out of the U.K. to be reunited with Meghan in Canada, Kate attended a reception for the U.K.-Africa Investment Summit at Buckingham Palace (which Harry had attended that morning, pre-departure) in a red Needle & Thread gown, which didn’t go easy on the sequins. Queen move.
This week in royal history
One year can be a long time in palace shenanigans. It was only a year ago that Meghan and Harry visited One25, a charity for female sex workers in Bristol, England. Meghan wrote messages on bananas for the women, including, “You are strong,” “You are brave,” and “You are loved.” Naturally, this was mocked (step forward Piers Morgan) and praised. Whatever, it seems far longer than a year ago.
Unanswered questions
Just what kind of new life do Meghan and Harry want? They sent a warning letter to media outlets after Meghan was photographed on Vancouver Island.
A life in which they are absolutely private, and demand absolute privacy and we never hear from them, or one in which they have a little bit of peace, then go to something glamorous and expect nice pictures and words to be written about them? Or, they release selective news to friendly outlets? Or they use their Instagram account for more self-prettification?
To put it another way: what balance of public and private will Harry and Meghan seek to engineer, and how many fights with the media will they have to achieve it?
