Harry v The Windsors: A family feud risking the future of the monarchy

By Rob Harris

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London: If you read the letters pages of the British newspapers you’d be hard-pressed to find one in 10 correspondents with a kind word to say about Prince Harry. However, move to the social media platforms – the domain of a younger generation – and you’ll find that ledger squares up a bit.

The public spat between the Duke of Sussex and his family – particularly his brother, Prince William, and his father, the King – has bitterly divided public opinion not just within Britain but all over the world. But in the UK it remains an almost daily topic of conversation somewhere.

And perhaps beyond the palaces, the pomp and the circumstance, the ongoing family tensions have, in some way, made them more relatable than ever.

But the royal psychodrama being fought out in the pages of the press has increased the number of Brits who say they’re embarrassed of the monarchy from 15 per cent to 21 per cent since September last year. At the same time, a YouGov survey found, the proportion of British people who say they’re proud of the monarchy has fallen from 55 per cent in September to 43 per cent.

Those aged between 18 and 24 – who are more likely to be sympathetic to Harry and his wife Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, are significantly more likely to be embarrassed than their elders – 35 per cent say they’re a little or very embarrassed, compared to just 11 per cent of 65 and overs.

Mary Clarke didn’t offer her age when she wrote in to London’s Telegraph earlier this month, but it was not difficult to work out which camp she belonged to.

“I don’t think the British people will forget how he upset the late Queen in the final months of her life, how he lied about the royal family, how he falsely accused people of racism and generally caused damage to the institution,” she wrote.

“I hope for the King’s sake that he finds some comfort in his relationship with his younger son, but I definitely think he’ll get his comeuppance when William takes the throne.”

William, Charles and Harry.Credit:Illustration: Aresna Villanueva

Among younger Brits, the views are not as clear-cut. And the new King, as the royals face perhaps their biggest challenges in decades to remain relevant, simply wants to do what he can to unify his family.

Harry’s presence at Saturday’s historic coronation service has created its own separate sideshow. His wife is staying behind in California with their two children, including their eldest son Archie, who turns four the day his grandfather is crowned.

It may well be the last major royal event Harry attends in years. He and his wife have made it clear they no longer want to live in Britain or be a working part of the family. And Harry – who is said to have not spoken to his brother since the funeral of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, last year – is expected to only be in the UK for 24 hours. It’s unlikely the pair will fraternise.

“I think Charles’ wish to reconcile with his youngest son makes a lot of sense, but you can’t blame William for being absolutely furious,” British historian Robert Lacey, a veteran royal watcher, said last week.

“Harry has basically exploited family disputes – which happen in any family – for money. It’s something that William understandably finds hard to forgive.”

The horror show came back to haunt Charles last week, when his estranged son dropped a new round of allegations about the royal family into the middle of the coronation build-up.

In written evidence for his invasion of privacy claim against Rupert Murdoch’s British newspaper group, Harry claimed his father prevented him from filing the lawsuit a decade ago. He said Charles didn’t want to dredge up graphic testimony about his extramarital affair with the former Camilla Parker-Bowles when he was married to the late Princess Diana.

Harry had claimed in his memoir, Spare, that the senior royals leaked unflattering stories about him to the news media in return for more favourable coverage, particularly to improve Camilla’s image.

If the past is any indication, attention will now shift to body language, seating plans and even wardrobe choices during the coronation, as royal watchers look for any signs of a thaw in the family tensions.

Paul Burrell, the butler to Harry’s late mother, suggested this week he’d be sitting 10 rows back from the rest of the royals at the coronation and would likely make a sharp exit.

He suggested there was no chance of a reconciliation and that Harry may not even have time to speak to his father or brother during his visit.

“There is no chance of a reconciliation anytime soon, I’m afraid. I think he will get a very icy reception from the Windsors,” he said.

The royal soap opera didn’t begin with the current generation of royals. It was Edward VIII who sparked a constitutional crisis in 1936 when he abdicated the throne to marry the twice-divorced American Wallis Simpson.

Bunting for the coronation of King Charles III adorns Regent Street in central London.Credit:Getty

Charles’ grandfather, George VI, is credited with saving the monarchy with a life of low-key public service after he replaced his elder brother. The late Queen Elizabeth II burnished the family’s reputation during a 70-year reign in which she became a symbol of stability who cheered the nation during its victories and comforted it during darker times.

But Charles becomes king under the glare of media attention as deference to the monarchy has faded.

Harry and Meghan walked away from frontline royal duties three years ago and moved to California, from where they have lobbed repeated critiques at the House of Windsor. In a Netflix series broadcast last year, they accused their family of unconscious bias when it comes to issues of race and suggested the royal family needed to “learn and grow” so it could be “part of the solution rather than part of the problem”.

An Ipsos poll last week put the King’s popularity ratings at their lowest level since Elizabeth II died, with more people thinking his son, the Prince of Wales, was doing a good job. Nearly half, 49 per cent, of those questioned thought Charles was doing a good job as king, down from the peak of 61 per cent in polls conducted in September and December.

But only 9 per cent thought the King was doing a bad job – down from about 20 per cent last year.

Lacey, the historical consultant to Netflix series The Crown, thinks Charles will overcome this run of bad publicity, and his youngest son will retreat to the US and become increasingly irrelevant.

“Harry is destined to spend the rest of his life fighting against this institution he says he has no respect for and bringing a great deal of grief to his father at a very important moment in his life,” he said.

Charles, he says, will overcome his problems and hurdles like he has done in the past.

“He’s loved for his mistakes as well as for his virtues. We’re getting a rounded figure, and that’s what a personal represented monarchy is all about,” he said.

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