Prince Harry makes royal claim and the Palace stays quiet

Prince Harry has said he will always be a member of the Royal
Family in an interview that has raised big questions.

During a surprise two day visit to Ukraine, the Duke of Sussex
told ITV News that he will always be a member of the family and
that he was doing the work he was ”born to do”.

However, it came during a private trip, rather than an official
one even though the event appeared to have many of the aspects of
the kind of visit Harry might have expected to make while a working
member of the Royal Family. And that’s led to questions.

While there’s no doubt that Harry remains part of the family, in
the sense that he is the son of the current Monarch and the brother
of the future King, he very famously stepped back as a working
member of the royals, along with his wife, Meghan.

In 2020, the couple announced they wanted to make a new life for
themselves as half in/half out royals. They said they wanted to
continue to represent the Monarchy at some events, such as Trooping
the Colour, but to also have the ability to pursue business
interests. This was flatly rejected by Queen Elizabeth II. Harry
and Meghan are no longer permitted to use their HRHs and they don’t
carry out royal engagements of any kind. In the past five years,
they have set up businesses, including the Duchess of Sussex’s As
Ever range, and made TV programmes on a range of topics including
their lives behind palace walls.

However, their recent actions and Harry’s latest interview have
raised questions.

The duke’s statement that he remains a part of the Royal Family
has been interpreted in some quarters as going further than saying
he is related to King Charles. Some have interpreted it as a claim
that his current activities are part of the royal set up.

The controversy has been heightened by a recent visit made by
Harry and Meghan to Australia. The trip, effectively by two private
citizens, saw them visit a children’s hospital as well as meet some
of those affected by the Bondi Beach attack. However, it also
included business echoes such as the Duchess of Sussex launching an
online link to buy clothes she had worn during the visit. It was
seen as an attempt, by some, to cash in on royal links and in
contradiction to the ‘Sandringham Summit’ which put paid to the
‘half in/ half out’ model presented by the Sussexes.

The latest interview and visits aren’t truly ‘half in/ half out’
as Harry and Meghan aren’t working royals. Whatever the optics of
any visit, they ultimately remain private citizens. However, they
are famous private citizens. During his time in Ukraine, Harry made
calls for the US to increase its support for the country, comments
which led to President Trump claiming that he spoke more for the UK
than Harry did.

The Duke of Sussex will be aware that The King is about to make
a crucial State Visit to the US. His comments created a situation
that wasn’t authorised by the Royal Family and certainly wasn’t
advertised to them in advance. And this is where Harry’s latest
claims really become controversial. Harry could be seen as acting
for the Firm without letting the Firm know what, where or how he’s
acting for them. And no Firm, royal or not, can tolerate that.

The issue with the model of half in/ half out as it was mooted
was that it was always on Harry and Meghan’s terms. There was never
a quid pro quo of what they would do. Their support for the royals
was always within the sphere of how it would benefit team Sussex,
not the bigger overall team. And that remains an issue now. Yes,
Harry will always be the son of Charles III, the brother of a
future king called William. But the concept of the Royal Family is
much bigger than kith and kin. Harry knows as well as the next
person that it implies a role within an institution. And the model
he proposes for that role still appears to be purely about his
plans. No wonder Buckingham Palace hasn’t said a word.