Last week was a busy one for the royal family, with Prince William and Kate’s foreign tour, Prince Harry’s own high-profile trip and Meghan Markle’s Hollywood comeback
With a Royal schedule conflict and the announcement of Meghan Markle’s Hollywood return, the divide between the Sussexes and the Royal family seems more evident than ever.
Last week, Prince Harry embarked on his own high-profile foreign trip, potentially overshadowing his brother, just as Prince William was visiting Brazil for his highly anticipated Earthshot Prize and representing the King at the COP30 climate change summit.
The timing couldn’t have been worse, with images of the Duke of Sussex posing with soldiers in Canada surfacing just as William was delivering his keynote speech at the environmental conference. To add to that, Harry’s wife Meghan managed to steal the spotlight from both of them when it was announced that she would be making her acting comeback with a role in a big-budget Hollywood film.
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Meghan’s new role
The former Suits actress, who left acting when she joined the Royal family, has secured a role in the upcoming blockbuster Close Personal Friends, alongside Emily In Paris actress Lily Collins and Marvel regular Brie Larson.
While movie insiders are reportedly “sworn to secrecy” about the specifics of her role, it’s reported that Meghan will play herself and views the part as a “massive moment” that could signal a full-time return to acting after an eight-year break.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams suggests that recent events not only indicate the ongoing feud between the Sussexes and the Royal Family, but also hint at a widening gap between Harry and Meghan. He points out Meghan’s focus on a Hollywood comeback as further evidence that a return to the UK isn’t in their immediate plans, reports the Mirror.
“Meghan’s decision to appear as herself in a Hollywood comedy film definitely emphasises her shift towards the US,” he tells us. “But Harry still feels very deeply about his homeland and would like to spend more time in the UK. The same cannot be said for Meghan, so there’s a clear divergence in opinions there.
“We also don’t know what will come after this film, but we do know they have Netflix projects to deliver, so this may only be the start for her in Hollywood.”
Just last week, Harry, who jetted off to Canada shortly after announcing his trip to commemorate “the period of Remembrancetide”, which traditionally spans from November 1 to 11, penned an essay titled The Bond, The Banter, The Bravery: What It Means To Be British. In it, he expressed the honor he felt serving alongside men and women from all across the UK.
He continued to describe the “banter of the mess, the clubhouse, the pub, the stands” as the “things that make us British”, adding, “I love it.”
Richard suggests that the letter is another clear sign of how much “self-exiled Harry misses the UK”, while Meghan is laser-focused on building her brand in the States and wants to distance herself as much as possible from the controversy surrounding Andrew Mountbatten Windsor (formerly Prince Andrew).
“Harry would very much like to see more of his father, especially as he has said publicly he doesn’t know how long he will live for,” Richard comments. “It’s also Charles’s birthday very soon, and that will no doubt trigger more feelings of regret for Harry.
“But Meghan is focused on her commercial success. Her brand is currently far enough removed that it shouldn’t be damaged and she will certainly want to keep it that way. The levels of toxicity are such that there is certainly potential for damage to be done.”
Meghan was seen last week on the set of a new film, with a source telling People magazine, “She seemed very relaxed and happy. She introduced herself to everyone and was very sweet and down to earth.”
Last week, Prince Harry’s team strongly denied any suggestion of an intentional clash between him and his older brother. They noted that the Toronto events were planned “nearly a year ago”, and the duke “can’t choose to move” the dates when Remembrancetide is observed.
But according to Royal commentator Richard, the scheduling conflict and inevitable speculation about their rift have done nothing to mend the icy relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the family.
“It was outrageous for Earthshot to be overshadowed, first by Harry’s visit, and then by news of Meghan’s film,” he claims. “The feud appears to be alive and well and living, and that any relationship between William and Harry is unfortunately water under the bridge.
“Harry’s relationship with his father is another matter, but I suspect William is not on Harry’s list of priorities any more.”
As the King nears his 77th birthday on 14 November and continues receiving treatment for cancer, he is also handling the devastating aftermath from the bombshell revelations about the connection between his younger brother Andrew and the deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Last month he revealed he’d started the official procedure of removing Andrew’s Prince and Duke of York titles along with his privilege to reside at Royal Lodge on the Windsor Estate. Richard says watching his father navigate the scandal will be particularly painful for California-based Harry, who has only met the King face-to-face once in nearly two years.
“Harry will feel deeply for his father,” he says. “It’s absolutely hellish for Charles at the moment – the situation is agonising – and of course Harry can see this. On a human level, it will be very difficult for him to witness.”
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