Truly, I didn’t expect to feel desperately sorry for Prince Harry. But as the days of mourning his beloved grandmother passed, this young man seemed to suffer one humiliation after another.
Sadness, shame and anger constantly swept across his face and I could only pity a man who still seems to me to be the child following her mother’s coffin in the full glare of public attention.
Everyone seemed hopeful at first. He had already been to the country that was his homeland, and I still suspect, in my heart, that it is.
He did not receive the news of his grandmother’s death as quickly as the rest of the immediate family. He was still airborne en route to Balmoral but was told as soon as possible, certainly before the news broke. He was with his closest relatives to share their immediate grief.
The following day his father, now King Charles III, delivered a moving and heartfelt speech to the nation. He shared his feelings of “deep sadness” at the Queen’s death. Announcing the elevation of his son and heir Prince William and his wife Kate to their new titles as Prince and Princess of Wales, he said: “I would also like to express my love for Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives abroad .’
I haven’t always flattered Harry since he married a woman made famous by a television series who had now cast me in a starring role beyond her wildest dreams, writes Jenni Murray
I’m sure it was more than many expected given Meghan’s continued criticism of the royal family and concerns about what may be revealed in the prince’s autobiography. Charles emphasized their decision to leave their lives as working royals and live abroad, but he did use the word “love,” and it’s not a trivial word to deny or dismiss.
I haven’t always been flattering to Harry since he’d married a woman made famous by a TV series who now seemed to me like she’d landed a lead role beyond her wildest dreams.
He should never have been persuaded to participate in Oprah Winfrey interviews, critical magazine coverage, goofy podcasts and telltale memoirs — all of which boosts his and his wife’s earning power while eroding his family’s reputation.
But here he was, mourning the loss of his grandmother and experiencing the true power and admiration that a close member of the late Queen’s family could bring him.
Harry was here to fully participate in the mourning for the Queen, but I cannot understand why a father who so openly declared his love and longed for reconciliation between his two sons to spend the days following the death of his mother should have spent exposing his second son to constant humiliation.
Obviously there were conventions that the “men in suits” wanted to follow. No uniforms to be worn by non-working royals was the most obvious.
But Karl is king. Within royal protocol, he has all power. He could have allowed Harry, like his brother William, to wear the uniform of the regiment he fought so proudly for during two stints in Afghanistan.
Harry served in the British Army for ten years. His uniform was not acquired as a gift from the Queen in recognition of non-active command of a particular regiment.
Charles is king. Within royal protocol, he has all power. He could have allowed Harry, like his brother William, to wear the uniform of the regiment he fought so proudly for during two stints in Afghanistan
It was earned through real bravery and real struggle. His status as a working king was not taken from him against his will, as was done by his uncle Andrew. He had no close relationship with a convicted pedophile. He’s just a romantic lad who fell in love and lets his wife guide him. There is no crime in that.
And yet we watched him burn with shame as he was forced to mourn publicly, with his medals pinned to a morning suit.
He and his wife did not appear to have been invited to a reception at Buckingham Palace during the mourning period. The Prince of Wales and his wife had been there. We saw the pain on his face as the procession passed the cenotaph, and while his father and brother were allowed to salute in uniform, he was not.
A nod had to suffice for a young man who was the only one of the three to have seen death and destruction on the battlefield.
JENNI MURRAY: Truly, I didn’t expect to feel desperately sorry for Prince Harry. But as the days of mourning his beloved grandmother passed, this young man seemed to suffer one humiliation after another
On one occasion, when he was allowed to wear uniform while standing with his brother at the vigil at Westminster Hall, he found the Queen’s initials, EIIR, had been removed from his shoulder. They were still there on his brother’s coat. When it came to the day of the funeral, there were more seemingly insignificant insults. Why didn’t Harry and Meghan sit up front with the King, Queen, Prince and Princess of Wales and their children?
Why were they stuck behind the king at the Abbey, out of the way and in Meghan’s case at Windsor, hidden behind a giant candle?
The King has generally behaved impeccably over the past week, making fine speeches and keeping his wits about him, apart from a couple of understandably irritated incidents with pens.
But if it’s true that Camilla can always put his mind at ease and give him good advice, she needs to remind him that good parents should never choose one child over another.
If Charles wants to see a reconciliation between his two sons, he must fully welcome the prodigal son into the family and treat them both as equals.
Incidentally, I saw Harry chant God Save The King through clenched teeth – but who can blame him?
Valor by ‘Dolly Partonski’
I am struck by the bravery of the woman who has been described as Russia’s equivalent of Dolly Parton, arguably the country’s most famous star.
Alla Pugacheva has fans in the upper echelons of society, including Putin himself.
Or earlier.
Alla Pugacheva has fans in the upper echelons of society, including Putin himself (the couple pictured together in 2014).
She has dared to criticize his war in Ukraine, boldly speaking out against “the deaths of our boys for illusory ends that make our country a pariah and strain the lives of our citizens.”
Given the terrible consequences others are facing for criticizing Putin, I hope Alla survives – and that Putin eventually comes to his senses.
I thought Glasto headliners had to be talented
The Spice Girls will be headlining Glastonbury next year. For real? It’s been 26 years since girl power was all the rage. A bit dated, and the artists on Pyramid Stage aren’t destined to be the best of the best – Paul McCartney, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Johnny Cash, Adele – and not a fabricated band put together to make a quick buck on music close? Promoter?
If it happens, I doubt Posh will want to be involved. Then she can’t sing anyway. No loss.
The male sting? No way, honey
A male contraceptive shot is said to be just a year away. A drug called Risug damages the tails of individual sperm, preventing them from fertilizing an egg. The effect lasts for ten years, can be reversed with baking soda and the vaccination is hormone-free, so there are no mood swings like with the pill. Why couldn’t such a symptom-free contraceptive method be developed for women? And honestly, would you trust a man who said he got the shot? Remember who always ends up holding the baby!
