opinion
70th Jubilee
The Queen’s lurching course: not hard enough with Andrew, careless with Harry and Meghan
One of the Queen’s most important tasks is to prepare for a good change of throne. Your recent decisions don’t exactly help
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Queen Elizabeth is not known for strictly enforcing decisions. She is now making a mark with Prince Andrew, but Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are suffering.
It should only be about Queen Elizabeth – and yet everyone is currently talking about Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry and their announced trip to England. A spokeswoman said on Friday, according to “ITV News”, that the Sussexes and their children are coming to the celebrations of Her Majesty’s 70th throne jubilee. Around the same time, it was revealed that the Queen would only invite working royals onto the balcony of Buckingham Palace as part of the traditional “Trooping the Color” ceremony. That excludes Harry and Meghan as well as Prince Andrew.
Good idea – if the Queen hadn’t even avoided a confrontation with it.
Queen Elizabeth: final line at Prince Andrew, reconciliation with Harry and Meghan
News broke when Prince Andrew accompanied his mother to Prince Philip’s memorial service in March. Her second son is obviously Queen Elizabeth’s favorite son, which may be why she finds it so difficult to be strict with him. Andrew lives just a few minutes’ drive from Windsor Castle, the monarch’s main residence. The Queen is even said to be on friendly terms with Sarah Ferguson, Andrew’s ex-wife and persona non grata for Philip. But the mood outside the royal cocoon alternates between freezing cold and burning hot. Either way: Prince Andrew’s reputation in public and among the citizens can no longer be saved. Still, she doesn’t have the heart to strip her son of his titles. Although she has decreed that the 62-year-old should no longer appear in public as “Royal Highness”, he still holds this title, as well as that of the Duke of York. The Parish Council of York stripped Andrew of his honorary citizenship. One member reportedly described the Queen’s son’s association with the city as a “shame”.
The fact that Andrew is not allowed to step onto the balcony and wave to the assembled people is a sign from the Queen. However, only a waxy soft one. And it’s affecting Harry and Meghan’s reputations.
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With Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, the Queen lacks foresight
It’s been a good two years since the ducal couple left the royal family. In the course of the “separation”, the Queen had written in every Communiqé that her grandson and his family were always a beloved part of the family. Harry, in turn, recently explained on US TV that he calls his grandmother regularly and does everything to ensure that she is protected. Nobility experts had reported in previous years that Harry was one of the Queen’s favorite grandsons. But even in this case, the feeling within the family differs greatly from that of the population. Last but not least, fired up by the extremely negative gossip press on the island, Harry and Meghan are unpopular with the people.
It should be in the interests of the monarchy as an institution to produce positive headlines. And the smoldering feud between members of the royal family and the Sussexes doesn’t bode well. The dispute could be an ugly beginning of a reign for Prince Charles – and the Queen is preparing the way there. It is rumored that as the anniversary events come to an end, there may be an opportunity to gather several family members on the Buckingham Palace balcony. And that should also include Harry, Meghan and their two children. It would be a peace gesture that could redeem the Sussexes in England, with the Queen showing her strength.