Whether he was reminding his wife to maintain royal protocol or simply in a bad mood after suffering from one too many sleepless nights as a new parent, the Prince Harry seen by the world at the recent Trooping the Colour was a far cry from his usual happy, cheeky self.
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The video clip of the new father seemingly snapping at his wife to “turn around” as they stood on Buckingham Palace’s balcony, went viral. Meanwhile, Meghan’s frozen and uncomfortable smile in response to her husband’s humiliating telling off has caused royal fans to question whether the couple’s marriage is buckling under the strain.
Now New Idea’s royal correspondent Phil Dampier explains that Harry’s dark mood has been noted by everyone around him and is markedly out of character.
“Clearly there has been some friction between them all and it’s taken its toll. Harry seems to have lost a bit of his spark and his sense of humour. Journalists covering his jobs say he seems grumpy and doesn’t even acknowledge them.
“He might be suffering from a lack of sleep as a result of Archie crying, but I also think there has been a knock-on effect from his problems with William and Kate.”
In the aftermath, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Instagram account was flooded with comments about Harry’s obvious unhappiness, with fans questioning whether their marriage will last.
“It it just me or does Harry look really miserable” asked one fan, while others noted: “Harry never looks happy any more” and “Harry looks so sad lately”.
Adding to the pressure and no doubt darkening Harry’s mood even further, last week The Sun newspaper reported that before their May 2018 wedding, the Duke of Edinburgh had warned Harry against marrying Meghan. The famously outspoken and blunt Philip apparently told his grandson, “One steps out with actresses, one doesn’t marry them”.
There were also devastating claims in The Sunday Times that a senior royal had cruelly labelled Meghan the “degree wife”, making reference to the length of time it takes to study for a university degree. The report added the relative believes that the Sussex’s marriage “will only last three years”.
These latest claims appear to add weight to rumours of a feud threatening to overwhelm the royal family. Harry reportedly fell out with Prince William last year after his older brother expressed concern that his relationship with Meghan was developing “too quickly”. While earlier this year, The Express newspaper divulged that after meeting his future daughter-in-law, Prince Charles had told a friend, “I just hope he doesn’t marry her”.
It’s likely the royal family had always expected Harry to marry someone more in keeping with his own background, such as former girlfriends Cressida Bonas and Chelsy Davy. While Harry’s biographer Chris Hutchins has claimed that Cressida was “the most suitable person he has ever had in his life”, it’s thought that Harry’s feelings for long-term, on-again, off-again girlfriend Chelsy were stronger.
Phil Dampier, author of Royally Suited: Harry and Meghan in their Own Words, believes Harry always hoped Chelsy would be his future wife.
“I don’t have any doubt that Chelsy was the love of Harry’s life and he will always carry a torch for her.
“I’m sure he wanted to marry her and the only reason he didn’t was because she got cold feet and couldn’t face the prospect of living the rest of her life in the spotlight as a princess.
“She just wasn’t cut out for it and so the relationship was doomed in the long term.”
Chelsy is said to be concerned about Harry and was in London last week to no doubt check on him. She visited some of the royal family’s favourite haunts including Annabel’s nightclub. It’s likely that Prince Harry – who still keeps in touch with his ex girlfriend and invited her to his wedding – will catch up with Chelsy when he and Meghan visit South Africa later this year.
Although, after royal correspondent Katie Nicholl’s recent claim that Harry and Chelsy had a “secret rendezvous” in 2015, this might be an awkward meeting for the threesome.
In the meantime, royal fans are hoping to see Harry return to his old, happier self as soon as possible. “Hopefully it’s a phase and he will pull out of it as the monarchy needs the old Harry back,” says Phil Dampier.
For more, see this week’s New Idea – out now!
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