Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have long found themselves at odds with the British monarchy, but there was one specific “slap in the face” that was the “last straw” for Harry, according to a royal expert.
To say relations have been uneasy between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family is a huge understatement – Harry and Meghan have gone to great lengths to detach themselves, including relocating to the US to begin a new life free of royal duties or engagements.
Following several public accusations, made via Harry and Meghan’s interview with Oprah and Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare, among other things, for their part the Royal Family aren’t too fond of the Sussexes either. Reports suggest that the monarchy no longer trust Harry and Meghan, with senior royals, including King Charles and Prince William, left feeling particularly aggrieved.
Just what served as the catalyst for Harry and Meghan’s departure from British shores is a matter that will likely be debated for many years to come. Yet though we may not know for sure what started their disillusionment, we perhaps have a hint as to what the straw that broke the camel’s back was.
The Daily Mirror cite royal expert and author Tom Quinn as having claimed that Harry was seriously unhappy with King Charles’s decision to relieve he and Meghan of Frogmore Cottage, the Sussexes’ royal base in the UK.
The move came last year, three years on from Harry and Meghan stepping down from their royal roles.DUBBO, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 17: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visit a local farming family, the Woodleys, on October 17, 2018 in Dubbo, Australia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are on their official 16-day Autumn tour visiting cities in Australia, Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. (Photo by Chris Jackson – Pool/Getty Images)
Being forced to vacate the home was always like to sting, but Tom Quinn goes as far as stating that Harry perceived the order from his father as “vindictive”.
Quinn told the Mirror: “The story of Harry’s change of residence may have come out only in the past few days, but in fact Harry quietly changed his primary residence as long ago as June 29, 2023 – on the very day he and Meghan were evicted from Frogmore Cottage on the Windsor estate. That’s the date given in new business documents filed in the US this week.”
Quinn added: “At the time, few people realised what a slap in the face the eviction from Frogmore felt like for Harry – it was the last straw.”WINDSOR, ENGLAND – APRIL 17: Prince Harry arrives for the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021 in Windsor, England. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born 10 June 1921, in Greece. He served in the British Royal Navy and fought in WWII. He married the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King VI. He served as Prince Consort to Queen Elizabeth II until his death on April 9 2021, months short of his 100th birthday. His funeral takes place today at Windsor Castle with only 30 guests invited due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Victoria Jones – WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The royal expert also revealed that Harry was “absolutely furious and in tears about being evicted from Frogmore”. Harry, he says, felt King Charles “had no right” to force he and his family out of the house, and interpreted the move as “vindictive”.
“Harry was absolutely furious and in tears about being evicted from Frogmore – he felt his father had no right to do it and that it was purely vindictive,” Quinn told the Mirror.
“Harry took it as a cruel rejection – a painful reminder of all that he felt when his father fought with his mother during their long drawn out, painful divorce.”
Just what the future holds with regards to Harry’s relationship with his father is anyone’s guess. The Duke of Sussex traveled to the UK to meet with Charles after the King announced that he had been diagnosed with cancer, though their reunion was a brief affair that lasted little more than a couple of hours.KLOSTERS, SWITZERLAND – MARCH 31: HRH Prince Charles poses with his son Prince Harry during the Royal Family’s ski break at Klosters on March 31, 2005 in Switzerland. Prince Charles was overheard criticizing the press by whispering “Bloody people.” The royal family traditionally offers stage-managed photocalls in return for their privacy during their holiday in Klosters every Spring. This year, however, the agreement has already broken down when paparazzi was snapping Prince William with his girlfriend, Kate Middleton. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images)
Harry will next return to the UK in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. Reports have stated that Prince William and Kate Middleton will not be making an effort to meet with him, though other sources insist that King Charles wants to see more of his US-based grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
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