Prince Harry: “there was no other option”

Prince Harry spoke for the first time last night since Sussexit started making headlines a couple of weeks ago. He did not do it in the presence of the royal rota, aka “the Cartel” – he would never give them that – but rather at the Sentebale dinner, at an event to support his beloved charity, sharing his feelings about the decision and his and Meghan Markle’s future going forward. You can read a full transcript of hisremarks here. And the video was posted to their Instagram:

This opens as a declaration of what HE, Prince Henry (not a typo) of Wales, son of Charles and Diana, has decided alone, which serves two purposes: to assure people that he remains the person they (his public) knew him to be and as a subtle defence of his wife, Meghan. Because they know what’s been suggested – that she’s behind this, that she wants it, that he’s simply going along because she’s bewitched him with her dark magic, and that’s gross on so many levels.

Not that it’ll do any good, because the people who believe that sh-t will forever be obstinately unwavering in their position that Meghan, the woman, the Black woman, is to blame for what’s happened, ignoring that Harry’s always, since before Meghan, looked for opportunities to be away from royal life. That’s why he was drawn to Africa. That’s why he was drawn to the military.

But what he initially wanted, as he makes clear in his remarks, was to “continue serving the Queen, the commonwealth, and (his) military associations, but without public funding”. Meaning they wanted to be able to make money outside of the royal family – and, more importantly, without royal family vetting. It’s not just that they wanted to make money, they wanted to do it minus all the policy and procedure that’s involved at Buckingham Palace, where requests have to be vetted through a series of aides and courtiers and then presented to the Queen with recommendations. That process, as we’ve seen, only works when there’s trust. Evidently the trust has been so irreparably damaged, with so much backstabbing and households working against each other, leaking to the media and poisoning relationships, that that was a concession the Sussexes weren’t prepared to make and on the Queen’s side, she wasn’t about to let them have their way when everybody else has to abide by the status quo. It’s a precedent she and her advisors clearly didn’t want to set. Especially not after Prince Andrew’s shenanigans. Oh, look who ruined it for everybody.

So, in the end, as Harry says, “There was no other option”. They said no, and he said, fine, we’re out. Or they said no, f-ck off, see you later. There’s your gossip buffet in how this played out.

You’ll note though that Harry, of course, made a point of calling out the media, once again underscoring that the coverage contributed to this situation and not just the coverage at face value but likely what’s unspoken here is the Sussex approach to the media and the rest of the family who have continued to work with the very same outlets that have been published some appalling irresponsible content.

Perhaps what’s most telling in this speech though comes towards the end of his comments about this change:

“Together, you have given me an education about living.”

What does it mean, for Harry in particular, to LIVE? This year, Harry turns 36… the same age Princess Diana was when she died. Living is a big word, and it’s not just about existing, but about experiencing life on our own terms. Which, as we’ve seen over the years, not even royals have that luxury.

对我来说,是最深刻的语句哈利has made so far. What has he learned about “living” and what does that look like?

Also…where?

You’ll note, initially it was the UK and Canada. But that’s when they were still trying to make the “half in half out” plan possible. Now that they are entirely out, now that Harry and Meghan are not “working members of the royal family”, they’re no longer bound to the Commonwealth. It opens up America for them immediately. More on that to come.

Here’s Harry, still at work today, at the UK-Africa Investment Summit.

Here’s a different expression. It’s just Photo Assumption…but is it really?