Prince Harry just doesn’t get America, says Don McLean
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The American Pie singer Don McLean said Prince Harry “just doesn’t get America” after Harry reported feeling underwhelmed by a visit to Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland.
McLean made the comments after a claim by the Duke of Sussex in his memoir that Elvis’s home was “dark and claustrophobic”.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, McLean, 78, said: “[Harry] doesn’t understand that Elvis is like the poor man’s king. He came from nowhere and his recordings are among the greatest ever made”.
The Duke and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, moved to the United States in June 2020 after their decision to quit the Royal family.
In his book, Spare, published last year, the Duke said his visit to Presley’s mansion in Memphis, Tennessee, reminded him of a badger sett.
“I walked around saying ‘the King lived here, you say? Really?’ I stood in one tiny room with loud furniture and shag carpet and thought ‘the King’s interior designer must’ve been on acid’.”
“People variously called the house a castle, a mansion, a palace, but it reminded me of the badger sett. Dark, claustrophobic.”
Presley bought Graceland in 1957 and died there in August 1977, aged 42. Today it is a shrine to fans not just of the singer, but those interested in American history and popular culture.
When Harry’s opinions were first published, McLean was quick to attack them, writing on X, formerly Twitter: “ “Prince” Harry should shut his mouth about Graceland and Elvis.
“He is a hot house orchid, a show horse who never did a thing.”
Harry and his wife have spoken of their difficult relationship with other members of the Royal family and criticised royal aides for not only refusing to hit back at hostile, inaccurate press coverage, but being complicit in leaking negative stories to protect other royals, most notably Prince William.
The couple have kept their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles since moving to the US, but are no longer addressed as his or her royal highness (HRH). The Duke remains fifth in line to the throne.
In his comments comparing the lives of Elvis and the Duke, McLean said: “His family were as poor as they could be and Harry criticised Elvis’s home as if he’s comparing it to Buckingham Palace, and that misses the point completely.”
