Prince Harry's Warm UK Welcome Proves That His Presence Is Missed in the Royal Family
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Prince Harry celebrated a huge milestone for the Invictus Games at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday. The 10th anniversary of the Duke of Sussex’s passion project had thousands of fans lining up to greet the royal — and Harry looked rather touched that so many people came to honor the games and give him a warm welcome.
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The throngs of well-wishers were rewarded with an unexpected meet-and-greet with Prince Harry, who shook hands and turned on the charm for the crowds. Us Weekly described him as “stunned but thrilled” by the turnout, which is a sad reminder of the ongoing royal feud. The Duke of Sussex was there without Meghan Markle to celebrate because the security issues have not been resolved. The rest of his family, who were invited personally by Harry, decided that a garden party at Buckingham Palace just two miles away was far more important.
In a time of royal crisis with King Charles III and Kate Middleton battling cancer, a show of unity at Harry’s Invictus Games event would not only have been a PR opportunity, but it might have also opened the lines of communication just a little bit more between Charles and his youngest son. It’s hard to believe that we are four years into the rift, but no one wants to budge — there seem to be too many restrictions for Prince Harry to even get some time alone with his dad.
On Wednesday, the public made it very clear that Harry’s presence in the UK is something that they want more of. He and Meghan aren’t returning to their senior roles, but public appearances tied to their philanthropic work are missed. Cele Otnes, co-author of Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture, noted this back in 2022. She believed that the royals underestimated Harry and Meghan’s global appeal and missed the mark when negotiating their exit. Referencing Tina Brown’s new book, The Palace Papers, Otnes stated to the U.K.’s Express, “There’s a great quote where Tina says one of the big problems with Harry and Meghan leaving the brand is that now there is this ‘charisma vacancy.’ I love that.”
Harry had his day in the sun with the Invictus Games, but sadly, the rest of his family was not by his side. Despite the British tabloids’ onslaught of headlines, the Duke of Sussex had plenty of supporters cheering him along the way.
Before you go, click here to find out which tell-all books expose major royal family secrets.
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