In all the Royal Family’s troubled relations with Harry and Meghan, it was a single word that sent a collective shiver down the spine of Buckingham Palace – and left senior courtiers in little doubt that whatever route the couple eventually took, things would not end happily.
Funnily enough, it was not the suggestion of racism, which was levelled at the Royal Family in the famous 2021 Oprah Winfrey interview. Offensive as that was, senior royals always firmly placed their trust in the public who they hoped – and believed – would see this attempt at slandering them for the cheap shot it was.
Nor was it anything to do with titles, funding or even that well-worn bugbear of Harry’s security.
In fact it was contained in a throwaway line at the end of their dramatic first public statement on ‘Megxit’ in January 2020.
Announcing their decision to step back from their position as senior working royals in order to ‘carve out a progressive new role within this institution’ as financially independent individuals, the couple concluded: ‘We will continue to collaborate with Her Majesty The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and all relevant parties’.
And there it was – the word ‘collaborate’.
‘No-one «collaborates» with the Queen. This is not one of those «Kate Moss Top Shop tie-ups»,’ one well-placed source raged to me at the time.
‘No-one «collaborates» with the Queen. This is not one of those Kate Moss Top Shop tie-ups,’ one well-placed source raged at the time
I was reminded of this last week as I exchanged opinions with another well-placed insider on the recent slew of social media-related shockers emanating from California, most notably the extraordinary delivery suite twerking video inexplicably released by Meghan to mark her daughter Lilibet’s fourth birthday.
‘This is exactly why Queen Elizabeth knew this whole half-in, half-out version of royalty they were lobbying for was never, ever going to work,’ my source says.
‘Harry and Meghan were a law unto themselves from the start, pushing and pushing the envelope to their own professional and financial advantage.’
Back in 2020, royal aides were more concerned about potential commercial clashes – the idea, for example, that they might be paid vast sums of money to endorse a particular brand of coffee, say, while also being asked to represent British industry on the world stage.
I think it’s fair to say even the canniest courtier would not have had a duchess suggestively hiking up her dress and jiggling her baby bump on their royal bingo card.
But it does offer a sage reminder of how well-served we were by the late Queen’s well-honed instincts (the whole Prince Andrew debacle, I would say, being a rare exception to her customary good judgement).
‘Her Late Majesty was nobody’s fool and knew that the chances were, it would all end in disaster,’ another source remarks.
Events last week also reinforce why King Charles has, sadly, had no option but to stick to his current course and cut his youngest son loose.
Indeed, as far as Buckingham Palace is concerned, the whole ‘Harry issue’ has been firmly parked to one side for the foreseeable future with no rapprochement in sight.
For one thing the working royals are actually incredibly busy: the day Meghan launched her viral video, Prince William was serving up sausage baps to the military in Suffolk while Queen Camilla was first highlighting the British flower industry at the Garden Museum in London and then at a back-to-back charity engagement in the City.
The Duchess of Edinburgh was meanwhile speaking passionately about the plight of victims and survivors of sexual violence in conflict at a landmark exhibition, while I accompanied the King to a special church service that evening along with Princess Alexandra, 88. For the King, indeed, it was yet another packed week in which he also managed to squeeze in his regular cancer treatment.
The extraordinary delivery suite twerking video inexplicably released by Meghan to mark her daughter Lilibet’s fourth birthday
Recent talk from Harry about ‘reconciling’ is also seen by many in royal circles as just another attempt to gain public sympathy and deflect from his many PR woes.
Particularly, insiders say, as it so clearly comes without any real recognition of why people are so angry at his behaviour, and wary of ever speaking to him again.
I’ve always argued that King Charles is not a vengeful man – far from it – and he continues to love his son from afar.
He may not take his calls now, but that’s not to say he never will again – not least because there are grandchildren involved, one of whom he has only ever met once.
For many in the family, however – William included – the damage is done.
Even if there was a fraction of truth in some of the accusations that Harry has thrown at them, the sheer relentlessness of his public campaign, not to mention the outright spite involved, has left scars too deep ever to heal.
And the couple’s current behaviour – once again making public that which really should remain between your nearest and dearest – is only making matters worse.
Collaboration, it is fair to say, is the last thing on our Royal Family’s mind.
