It’s safe to say 2021 has been a busy year for the British Royal Family – especially when it’s considered that we’re not even half the way through.
After the scandal that left Prince Andrew disgraced and stripped of his duties, and in the midst of the worst pandemic in a century, one can imagine that Queen Elizabeth and her family wouldn’t have minded having some time outside of the spotlight.
Only, it wasn’t to be. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s explosive tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey blew the doors off of that notion entirely, whilst the death of Prince Philip meant that any eyes that weren’t already trained on Buckingham Palace, suddenly were.
The last few weeks much have been strenuous indeed for Queen Elizabeth, who at 95 years old is already Britain’s longest ever serving monarch.
Yet though any drama surrounding Prince Philip’s passing will no doubt subside over the coming days and weeks, the subject of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle remains one on the wrong side of taboo.
The story so far
For anyone in need of a quick refresher, Meghan and Harry sat down with Oprah Winfrey to discuss the reasons behind their leaving of the Royal Family. No one – indeed not even Oprah, as she’s since confided – could have expected what was to come.
The couple took aim and fired about every round they had, claiming that Meghan had been so mentally beaten during her time living in the UK, that she’d contemplated taking her own life.
They also made allegations of racism on the parts of unnamed personnel within the Royal Family, stating that they’d been forced to field questions on the potential color of son Archie’s skin before he was born.
Needless to say, the fallout was catastrophic to the image of the royals, and Harry and Meghan quite probably burned any bridges yet remaining between themselves and “The Firm”.
Perhaps the most talked about issue has been the break down of relations between Harry and his older brother, William. The two princes have been the best of friends for their entire live, and captured the hearts of the world when they walked side by side as young boys at the funeral of their much-loved mother, Princess Diana.
Sadly, Harry’s relationship with his brother was reportedly heavily damaged after the claims made in the sit down with Oprah – the two had barely spoken before Harry arrived back in the UK for Philip’s funeral.
Right after they left St. George’s Chapel, pictures showed Harry and William talking to each other, offering the idea that there is perhaps a glimpse of hope that their bond will prevail.
But the talks following the funeral didn’t seem to go as well as anyone had hoped. At least not for Harry’s father Charles and brother William.
According to Radar Online, Charles and William approached Harry for a two-hour sit down. But instead of Harry being happy about it, he felt “ambushed”, and was left ultimately “outraged” about the meeting.
“The meeting after the family laid Prince Philip to rest was not scheduled. Harry felt ambushed by his dad and brother which is no way to start a peace process,” a source told Radar Online.
The same source says that William and Harry had some contact before the funeral, though it was more “texts than calls,” and their first attempt at patching up their relationship ended in failure.
Following on from that, Saturday’s conversation between the two and Charles was “unproductive”.
“Now to you negotiate peace with a couple who are willing to burn the whole place down? Harry and Meghan think they are coming to the table in a position of power and they have nothing else to lose,” the source said.
“Everything, from titles to money to security has already been taken away. If the family is serious about making peace they could start by returning everything they removed.”
Now, new information has surfaced regarding how Prince William is feeling in the aftermath of the storm of controversy. More specifically, his thoughts and feelings on Meghan Markle.
Readers may remember that one of the many storylines to be born from the infamous Oprah interview was that of Kate Middleton having made Meghan cry during the dress rehearsal for the latter’s wedding.
At the time, the British press ran with the story that it was the other way around – that Meghan had left Kate in tears – and so Meghan wanted to clear this up once and for all.
In doing so, however, she reportedly “infuriated” Prince William, who was less than happy about how his wife was treated and portrayed.
A senior royal source told the MailOnline: “Perhaps the biggest strains now exist between William and Meghan.
“First and foremost, William cannot countenance the way Meghan has treated his wife. He feels Kate tried at the beginning, but it was never enough.”
The source added: “To name Kate so publicly during the Oprah interview as the person who made her cry was beyond the pale. Meghan would have been acutely aware that Kate is powerless to fight back.”
According to reports, William has taken umbrage with that, and his ire isn’t likely something that will be easily subdued.
What’s next for the Royal Family with regards to how they move forward after the allegations made by Harry and Meghan remains to be seen. One thing’s for sure, though, and that’s that we haven’t seen or heard the last of this.
What are your thoughts on the Royal Family and the ongoing situation involving Harry and Meghan?
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