King Charles Welcomes Zelensky to Windsor Castle ― and the Snub to Harry Couldn't Be Clearer
The Ukrainian President's recent outing proves that in the Sussex vs the royal family battle, he has picked a side.
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior working royals in 2020, they created a rift that divided the royal orbit into two factions. Friends had to pick sides, and global leaders had to choose where to put their weight. Over the years, the Sussexes have reportedly lost several of their allies to the Royal Family, and it seems that Volodymyr Zelensky is next in line. By accepting a high-profile welcome from King Charles at Windsor Castle, it looks like the Ukrainian President is signaling exactly where his loyalties now lie.
The president recently met with King Charles at Windsor Castle, as his country is still engaged in war. He took to X to post a picture, saying, “As always, a good audience with His Majesty King Charles III of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I thank His Majesty, the people, and the entire United Kingdom for their ironclad support for our people.” The official Instagram profile of the Royal Family also shared the picture on its story.
Incidentally, Harry has been a long-standing supporter of Ukraine and has visited the country several times, with the most recent visit being in April this year. He had given a rallying speech in support of the country at the Kyiv Security Conference. But it seems that Zelensky has picked his side in the royal rift, and the Sussexes do not appear to have his backing.
Interestingly, the Duke of Sussex took a major gamble with his personal equations when he delivered his speech a few months back, taking a not-so-subtle swipe at US President Donald Trump. As per GB News, he said, “This is a moment for American leadership, a moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations.” His speech had come days before Charles and Queen Camilla were to visit Trump in the US on an important state visit, to mend UK-US ties.
After calling upon other global leaders to side with Ukraine, Harry had echoed Zelensky’s stance on defending the country’s fundamental right to exist. “The question is no longer whether Ukraine will stand. You have already answered that. The question is: Will the rest of the world match your resolve?” he had said. He ended his passionate speech with “Slava Ukraini!”, the country’s rallying cry.
The speech didn’t affect Charles’ visit to the US, as the monarchs came back home with flying colors. However, on the personal front, his relationship with his son remains strained as speculation around a possible reconciliation at Balmoral this July continues to build.
