Harry and Meghan Accused of 'Overshadowing' William's Big Family Moment With UK Return
An expert revealed the Palace may be concerned that Harry and Meghan could continue attracting attention while carrying out activities in the UK.
Did Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s return to the UK overshadow a major moment for Prince William and his family? While the Sussexes have yet to make any public appearances, they made quite a storm just ahead of Prince George's milestone start at Eton College.
Amid the ongoing chatter about the Sussexes, King Charles recently issued a statement making it clear that the couple would remain non-working royals. According to royal expert Phil Dampier, the timing of the developments may have created an unwanted distraction from George’s big day. In a conversation with The Sun, he argued that the King's letter was "really sending out a message - a warning shot across their bows, you could say." He noted, "What they're [the palace] emphasizing is that nothing has changed as far as they're concerned. No one was expecting them to come back, so they didn't feel it was necessary to point this out before."
He explained how George’s first day at Eton was always going to attract plenty of attention. The young royal arrived at the prestigious school with his parents, William and Princess Kate, on September 8. However, Dampier believes Harry and Markle's story may have competed with the royal milestone. "Well, this is one of the problems. When we start to get a controversy over Harry and Meghan, it tends to make the front pages," he opined. The expert continued, "We've got Prince George going to Eton today - his first day at Eton - and we've got the anniversary of the Queen's death, and it's overshadowing it all. I think this is what the Royal Family is worried about."
Dampier also suggested that the Palace may have been concerned that Harry and Markle could continue attracting attention while carrying out activities in the UK, which may have led to the King's letter. "But now that they've come back and might start turning up to various charity events or doing commercial activities, it's got to be absolutely clear to everyone that they are doing it as private individuals and not as royals," he added.
