Prince Harry has reportedly been given a cutting new nickname by some Buckingham Palace staff, who believe the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Meghan Markle, have a habit of drawing attention away from major royal engagements.
According to a palace insider, the 41-year-old has become known in some royal circles as ‘Hijack Harry’ amid claims that announcements, interviews and social media posts linked to the Sussexes often coincide with significant events involving King Charles III and the wider Royal Family.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior working royals in 2020 before relocating to Montecito, California, with their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, four.
Since leaving royal duties behind, the couple have pursued a range of commercial ventures and media projects, while Meghan has increasingly shared glimpses of their private life online.
Most recently, the Duchess of Sussex posted a collection of previously unseen photographs from the couple’s 2018 wedding. Notably, none of the images featured members of Harry’s family.
The post reportedly caused frustration among some palace insiders because it appeared during King Charles and Queen Camilla’s high-profile three-day visit to Northern Ireland.
“Harry’s new nickname among some staff is ‘Hijack Harry’ because there’s a growing feeling every major royal event is suddenly accompanied by a Sussex announcement, photograph release or intervention that is seen as a pathetic attempt to shift the spotlight back onto them,” the source told RadarOnline.
“People working around King Charles feel it has become predictable and increasingly deliberate.”
Another insider claimed some advisers around the King believe Harry is attempting to restore his standing in Britain through “carefully staged” public appearances.
“There are advisors around the King who genuinely believe Harry is trying to rebuild relevance in Britain through carefully staged interventions tied to emotional causes,” the source said.
“The feeling among critics is that every speech, article, or appearance has become part of a broader image rehabilitation campaign for Harry, but it is clashing badly with the public efforts of the rest of the royal family.”
The brutal nickname comes at a delicate time for the Sussexes, whose former Windsor residence, Frogmore Cottage, is set to be subdivided by the Crown.
The Grade II-listed residence was transformed from five separate dwellings into a single family home ahead of the couple’s wedding, although they lived there for less than a year.
According to The Sun, officials are assessing whether the property could once again be divided into multiple residences.
Royal commentator and podcast host Kinsey Schofield recently told Sky News Australia the reported plans amounted to more than a simple refurbishment.
She described the proposal as “not just a renovation” but a “hard reset” featuring “new paint, new decor and no Montecito memories”.
At the same time, broadcaster Mark Dolan has claimed Meghan is increasingly interested in rebuilding ties with the Royal Family following a series of setbacks in her business ventures.
Dolan argued the Duchess has recognised that her independent commercial projects have struggled to gain the traction she had hoped for.
“It’s my understanding that Meghan has realised that her solo projects aren’t working and that Meghan as this amazing independent brand is not successful,” Dolan said.
He went on to claim Meghan is now eager to strengthen relationships with senior royals.
“My royal insiders are telling me that she’s all out now to get back to the UK to reconnect with King Charles and to effectively be Princess Meghan again,” he said.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.skynews.com.au ’
