A surprise visit gives royals a chance to clear the air
A version of this story appeared in the April 15 edition of CNN’s Royal News, a weekly dispatch bringing you the inside track on Britain’s royal family. Sign up here. Prince Harry and Meghan stopped by the UK and met with the Queen on Thursday on their way to the Invictus Games in the Netherlands, according to a spokesperson for the couple. The visit hadn’t been expected by the media and was only confirmed after the pair had left for their next destination. This is the first visit back that we’re aware of for Meghan since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex resigned from royal duties in early 2020.Harry returned last year, joining his brother William to unveil a statue of their mother, Diana, at Kensington Palace. But he was chased by photographers and later said it wouldn’t be safe for him to return without police protection. He offered to pay for it, and launched a legal challenge against the government’s decision that prevents him from doing so.A statement given to media at the time said Prince Harry “inherited a security” from his family. “He remains sixth in line to the throne, served two tours of combat duty in Afghanistan, and in recent years his family has been subjected to well-documented neo-Nazi and extremist threats.”Something must have changed: Maybe the security issue has been resolved, or the secret nature of the visit lowered the risk.Either way, it opens up the possibility that we will see the couple come back more; the most obvious next opportunity would be the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, but nobody on either side is confirming yet whether they’ll return for the event.Since the Sussexes left the UK, they have gone out of their way to express their support and respect for the Queen. They’ve been more critical about Prince Charles, and a rift has clearly developed with the heir to the throne. Back in March last year, it was reported that Harry and his father had “unproductive” conversations following his and Meghan’s explosive Oprah Winfrey interview. Two months later, Harry told the Armchair Expert podcast how his childhood felt like being in a “zoo,” and hinted that Charles’ parenting led him to feel “some form of pain or suffering.”CNN understands the couple also met Charles on Thursday, so there could be some positive news there. Warhol created prints of several monarchs that year, but he wasn’t too happy when they were displayed in New York City. “They were supposed to be only for Europe — nobody here cares about royalty and it’ll be another bad review,” he said in his memoirs. This year’s exhibition, which will run from May 28 to June 15, will also feature key portraits of Mary, Queen of Scots, Queen Victoria, Queen Anne, Mary I and Mary II, lent from aristocratic and other distinguished British collections.
“She’s given me a lot of hope that this can happen and I believe it, and I’m seeing it with my own eyes. It’s really inspiring, it’s really hopeful. And I do believe we can make huge strides.”
Prince William
Prince William pays tribute to Christiana Figueres, chair of Earthshot’s board of trustees, and reveals his hope that progress against climate change is possible while speaking on the Climate of Change podcast.CNN’s Hafsa Khalil contributed reporting.
