People, your bias is showing. Prince Harry has been spotted in Montecito this week, confirming reports that he would not linger in the UK following the funeral of his grandfather, the late Prince Philip. His journey has been implicitly framed as a snub. Mail Online's piece on the development reads: 'Prince Harry returns home from London to Montecito one day before the Queen's birthday and with family row unresolved - after meeting only once with his father and William following Philip's funeral.'
The message is clear. 'One day before the Queen's birthday' positions Harry as an uncaring grandson, while 'with family row unresolved' suggests that he has fled with unfinished business. 'Prince Harry returns home to rejoin his heavily pregnant wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex' just doesn't inspire the same level of vitriol, does it?
For anyone who has been influenced by the reporting, a little clarity: Prince Harry has not snubbed his beloved grandmother on her birthday. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown rules still in place in the UK means that a big in-person celebration is firmly off the cards. The Queen could, in theory, spend her day outside with five friends or family members, and reports state that she will receive visitors, but there can of course be no formal event or surprise birthday celebration that befits the occasion.
Harry has not received an invitation to a cocktail party attended by his father, brother and grandmother and sent it back with a big red cross in the RSVP box. He has simply chosen to prioritise his wife, son and unborn daughter at a busy, stressful time. Besides, if he stayed for longer, he could stand accused of enjoying a foreign trip - his travel was permitted for a funeral, not a birthday - when so many must stay home, as well as being criticised for leaving his wife alone for almost two weeks.
'This trip was to honor the life of his grandfather and support his grandmother and relatives,' a source told Harper's Bazaar USA's Omid Scobie, co-author of Finding Freedom. 'It was very much a family-focused period of time. Saturday broke the ice for future conversations but outstanding issues have not been addressed at any great length. The family simply put their issues to one side to focus on what mattered.' Omid added that Harry was able to see some family during his stay, including his cousin Princess Eugenie and her newborn son.
The Queen has, of course, not acknowledged any ructions in a statement released today. 'While as a family we are in a period of great sadness, it has been a comfort to us all to see and to hear the tributes paid to my husband, from those within the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth and around the world. My family and I would like to thank you all for the support and kindness shown to us in recent days. We have been deeply touched, and continue to be reminded that Philip had such an extraordinary impact on countless people throughout his life.'
Family is important to Harry. It's why he has done what he has done. His biggest critics seem unwilling to accept that the core of all the drama of his departure from the family and the country is something human.
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