Prince Harry and Meghan Markle werein Miami last weekto speak at the private JP Morgan Summit. Harry apparently talked about mental health, coping with his mother’s death, and his decision to take his family out of senior royal status. There are conflicting reports about whether or not they were paid for their appearance – but if they weren’t paid, it was, as I said, an audition, a buildup to a future where they will be getting paid, since they are seeking financial independence. How that looks, exactly, remains to be seen, and that’s what they’ve been working on anyway: a strategy moving forward that fits with their brand. Basically what they need to do is come up with a business plan. And business plans take time. At least good ones do.
That said, the Sussexes aren’t completely detached yet from the British royal family.The Sunday Times reportedthis weekend that they will soon return to England at the Queen’s request:
“The Queen has asked Harry and Meghan to join the rest of the royal family for the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey on March 9. The couple are expected to arrive in the UK with Archie, who will be 10 months old, for a final round of official engagements before returning to their new base in Canada.”
If the Queen wants Harry and Meghan to be part of the service, clearly she doesn’t want them to "get the f-ck out” which was how some of the UK’s tabloids covered Sussexit. Or you could look at it another way – that she can summon them home any time. Still, the Commonwealth has always been her priority and if this is true, and she does indeed feel like they should be there, clearly she understands what value their presence would bring. Value can always be leveraged – at the right time.
Imagine if Harry and Meghan rocked up to the Abbey blasting this from his speakers?
Sorry, I’m delirious. But that’s kind of what the buildup to it would be, non? The Return of the Sussexes for the first time since Sussexit. All photographers ready to capture the moment. Heads on swivels in the chapel. When you think about it that way, it’s an interesting decision because they will, inevitably, end up being the main event, the big story. And, well, we all know, a big part of all of this has been about attention, about jealousy over attention and spotlight. How is this going to play out?
