Harry Governor General?
Would Prince Harry make a good Governor General in Canada? Phil Dampier explains why the role would be perfect for him.
After former astronaut Julie Payette came down to earth with a bump and was forced to resign as the Queen’s Governor General in Canada, I’ve been pondering on whether Prince Harry might have been suited for the role?
Payette was forced out amid allegations of bullying and her resignation from the largely ceremonial post spared Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s blushes, as he clearly didn't vet her properly before making the appointment.
My mind wandered back to 2017 when Harry met outgoing GG David Johnston in the historic Fairmont Royal York hotel in Toronto.
I was the only journalist in the room and heard Johnston welcome Harry to Canada to which the Prince, in town for the Invictus Games, replied: “Canada is like a home from home, you know that.”
Wife-to-be Meghan already described herself as an “adopted Canuck,” having spent seven years filming the legal drama Suits in the country.
And the newlyweds seemed totally at home for three months when they lived on Vancouver Island after “Megxit” before moving to California.
A poll showed more than 60 percent of Canadians would be happy to have Harry as their Governor General, with high approval ratings among the young and even French speakers in Quebec.
If he’d got the job Harry would have represented the Queen, kept many links to the armed forces, and not burnt so many bridges with the royal family.
And it wouldn't have been the first time an exiled royal with a divorced American wife had been in such a role — the Duke of Windsor was Governor of the Bahamas from 1941 to 1945.
I think it would have been a perfect stepping stone for Harry and Meghan — but I fear the lure of big bucks in the U.S. proved too much.
The couple is looking at raking in millions of dollars after striking deals with Netflix and Spotify.
But there’s another reason why Meghan in particular wanted to return to her homeland — her political ambitions.
I’m convinced she has long-term — or maybe not so long-term — ambitions to one day be President.
And that theory has now been given a further boost by news the Duke and Duchess spent an hour chatting to California Governor Gavin Newsom in the run-up to last year’s U.S. election.
The virtual meeting took place on October 19, two weeks before the poll, and came soon after Meghan described the battle between Donald Trump and Joe Biden as “the most important election of our lifetime.”
Harry raised royal eyebrows saying: “As we approach this November, it’s vital we reject hate speech, misinformation and online negativity.”
The couple denied they were meddling in politics — but come on, who believes them?
I expect Meghan to run for office in the next couple of years and Harry will support her all the way.
But it will be yet another nail in the coffin of their impartial royal credentials, and make it even harder for them to cling on to their titles.
