What's next for the Windsors?
After Harry and Meghan's Oprah bombshell, we take a look at where the royals go from here
What a week. After Harry and Meghan’s Oprah bombshell interview, the aftershocks are still being felt across the world, in what the press is calling the “worst royal crisis in 85 years.”
With everything from racism allegations to suicidal thoughts and Charles not taking Harry’s calls, the Queen released a statement on Tuesday. “The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan,” it read. “The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved family members.”
So where does the Royal Family go from here? Kerry took an in-depth look at the key players for The Saturday Telegraph. Here’s some of her thoughts:
Prince William
Harry told Oprah there was a big distance between the brothers. “Time heals all things, hopefully,” he said. “I love William to bits, he’s my brother, we’ve been through hell together … but we’re on different paths.”
They are due to reunite in July, when they unveil a statue of Diana in Kensington Gardens, on what would have been her 60th birthday. On Thursday William told reporters he hadn’t yet spoken to his brother, but “will do” and said, “We are very much not a racist family,” as he and Kate visited a school in London.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
In 2018 reports emerged a rift had occurred between Meghan and Catherine at the bridesmaid-dress fitting when the Duchess of Cambridge was left in tears. Meghan told Oprah the opposite happened. “She was upset about something, but she owned it, and she apologised, and she bought me flowers,” she said. Meghan was upset nobody officially put the record straight. “With a story like this, it is normal that the palace doesn’t get involved because this was a private matter,” says Brittani Barger, deputy editor of Royal Central.
Catherine is not expected to respond. “She has been in the Royal Family for a decade and has adopted the ‘never complain, never explain,’ attitude,” says Brittani.
The Queen
While Harry and Meghan said they have a good relationship with the Queen, Patrick Jephson, former private secretary to Diana, says Harry and Meghan’s interview will put paid to any chance of reconciliation. “So toxic are the allegations of racism, callousness, neglect and deceit that any attempt to refute or contextualise them seems doomed,” he wrote in The Times.
However, it’s hoped the Queen’s tautly-worded response would dampen the flames. The monarch is expected to speak to the couple privately.
Prince Philip
While Philip is in hospital, his family is imploding on the outside. However, while many wondered who the culprit was who pondered Archie’s skin colour, Oprah revealed Harry wanted it made clear it was “not his grandmother nor his grandfather”, which meant the focus fell on the rest of the family. “There are demands for full transparency into the racism claims,” says Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty magazine.
Prince Charles
Harry told Oprah his father stopped taking his calls, “because… I took matters into my own hands.” Harry repeatedly cited his lack of security, hurt his father cut him off financially when he moved to Canada. The pair had thought, they said, they could be part-time working royals.
As to royal protection – the Queen, Philip, Charles, Camilla, William, Kate and their children get round-the-clock protection. Anne, Edward and Sophie receive protection on public duties but not day-to-day. Andrew lost his and Beatrice and Eugenie did have protection, but now pay for it themselves.
Charles was the first to break cover on Tuesday, attending events in London, where he laughed and joked but kept silent about his son. “Talking about his fractured relationship with his father so publicly achieves nothing but further hurt, and will make the process of reconciliation even more difficult,” says Joe.
Fancy living next door to Harry and Meghan?
Waffles on the verandah, play dates at Archie’s Chick Inn, all this can be yours by snapping up this $22.5m (£16m) mansion and five-acre estate – once the home of actor Rob Lowe – yards from Harry and Meghan’s Montecito home. The seven-bedroom, 13-bathroom house comes with a pool, cabana, gym and plenty of mountain and ocean views. If Meghan and Harry don’t take your calls, the gated neighbourhood is stuffed with stars, such as Gwyneth Paltrow and Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry.
Harry and Meghan bought their $14.65m (£10m) nine-bedroom, 16-bathroom mansion last summer. Called ‘The Chateau of Riven Rock’, it includes an elevator, library, billiards room, home theatre, gym, wine cellar, and a spa with massage room. Their five-acre estate has rose gardens, century-old olive trees, an outdoor pizza oven, pool, playground, vegetable garden, tennis court, two-bedroom guest house, tea house with pond and a children’s cottage. And lockdown rescue chickens.
What if the Windsors were Disney princesses…
One of the stand-outs of Oprah’s interview with Harry and Meghan was when the Duchess of Sussex said she was The Little Mermaid.
Meghan said she had a revelation when she watched the Disney movie and realised she was Ariel. “I went, ‘Oh my God, she falls in love with the prince and because of that she has to lose her voice.’ But in the end, she gets her voice back,” she said, adding she got her happy ending. But if Meghan is Ariel, who are the rest of the royal women? Kerry had a bit of fun in her column for the Sunday Telegraph. Here’s her picks:
Catherine is Elsa from Frozen: Let’s face it, relations between the sister-in-laws are Arctic and Catherine really must want to “Let it Gooo”. Or speed off on a water horse for a mini-break on a glacier.
Fergie is Merida from Brave: Like the flame-haired Princess Merida, Fergie enjoyed a complicated relationship with her mother and went her own way. She also fought her way out and then back into the Royal Family.
Diana is Aurora from Sleeping Beauty: Poor Diana seemed doomed from the start – a beautiful ingenue brought into the palace from the countryside, with a destiny she couldn’t avoid.
Camilla is Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty: If Diana is Aurora, then unfortunately that makes Camilla misunderstood Maleficent, at least in the public’s initial opinion.
Charlotte is Tinkerbell from Peter Pan: The cheeky five-year old is pure Tinkerbell and you can bet her future is going to be a live-action adventure.
Catherine’s Boden shopping spree
When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping and this week Catherine – always flying the flag for British fashion – showcased not one but two Boden buys. On International Women’s Day, the duchess wore a £80 Dora Tie Neck Blouse for a video call (and these Missoma £85 earrings). Then on Thursday, marking her first public outing of the year, Catherine joined Prince William on a visit to an east London school, wearing a £65 Hambledon Scallop Jumper and one of her go-to masks, a Liberty floral print (appropriately called The Duchess) by Amaia, one of her favourite childrenswear brands.
Remember when this was the biggest royal TV scandal…
Prince Edward celebrated his 57th birthday this week and we’ll always be grateful to him for gifting us The Grand Knockout Tournament (AKA It’s A Royal Knockout) back in June 1987 on BBC1. Watch all the young royal jokers here.