As difficult as it is to get into the British royal family, it’s somehow more difficult to get out of it. Those who have left usually did so through divorce, like Sarah Ferguson and Diana Spencer. It’s rare for someone born into the royal life to set it aside.
That’s why the royal family was at a loss as to how to respond when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle decided to step down as senior royals in January 2020, an action the press dubbed “Megxit.”
But the one person most disappointed by the decision is Harry’s grandfather Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh. According to a new biography, Prince Philip Revealed, Harry’s relationship with his grandfather may be irretrievably broken by the move. Here is why Prince Harry’s relationship with his grandfather is probably over.
Philip’s relationship with Harry started off well
Much has been written about Philip’s cool treatment of his son Charles over the years, but when Philip became a grandfather to a pair of royal heirs, he seemed warmer. Now 99 years old, Philip retired from public life in 2017, so he’s not seen at many events other than weddings and such. But before his retirement, each public family gathering revealed the genuine connection between grandfather and grandson.
“The Duke is very close to all of his grandchildren and is very much head of the family behind the scenes…. You can see how close they are when the male members meet up at Christmas or other events,” insider Philip Dampier told Harper’s Bazaar in 2018. “It is touching to see and in contrast to his gruff public image.”
Related: How Prince Harry Has Further Separated From The Royal Family
When Harry married Meghan, things started to change
Prince Philip knows something about marrying into the family. He and Elizabeth married in 1947, only a few years before she ascended the throne. In that time he gave up a lot of his personal interests and dedicated his life to public service. But he was also known for being outspoken on occasion.
When Harry married Meghan Markle in May 2018, Philip had a kind of affinity for her, given that she was not one to let her voice go unheard. The family figured that, like others who married into “The Firm” (as Philip coined the British royal family), Meghan would eventually settle into her role. When she announced her pregnancy in October 2018, her role in the royal family seemed assured.
Stepping down and away from duty
Prince Harry has never been a fan of the press. His mother Princess Diana died in a car accident while fleeing paparazzi, after being relentlessly hounded by paparazzi for years. Harry himself had a few brushes with the press, especially in his teenage years. But when he married Meghan, the press began behaving as they had with Diana, and Harry did not want any part of that.
As for Harry himself, his own role had diminished in terms of succession. At his birth, he was third in line for the throne, behind his father and elder brother William. But when William married and had children, Harry’s role as “the spare” became increasingly unnecessary. Because of this, and fears for Meghan’s treatment in the press, Harry came to the decision that would rock the royal family to their core.
Related: Inside Meghan Markle’s Battle With The Press
Philip’s reaction to Megxit
The reaction from the Queen and Prince Charles was disappointment and hurt, mostly due to their not being consulted in the decision. Harry’s brother Prince William and his wife Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, seemed to understand a little better, as Harry’s role had changed so dramatically over his young life.
But Philip’s reaction was utter disbelief. According to the new biography, “He just cannot understand why she couldn’t support Harry and help him rather than wanting to have her voice.”
Furthermore, Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told Express.co.uk, “[Philip] would not have endorsed their wish for independence and certainly not the way they handled it…. He had his own struggles against establishment figures who didn’t like him or want him involved in matters of state when [Elizabeth] ascended the throne.”
Harry and Meghan relocate to the U.S.
To escape the unrelenting British press, and the occasional lawsuit Harry has brought against them for their reporting, Harry and Meghan have made the most of their break from the family. They are no longer able to be addressed as His and Her Royal Highness, even though they do formally retain the titles. The pair no longer draw money from taxes, as others in the royal family may do. And they have moved from the U.K. to the U.S., settling in Southern California for the time being.
This last action has allegedly troubled Philip the most, according to his recent biography. The author writes that Philip considers Harry’s actions nothing less than a “dereliction of duty,” that he thinks Harry is “giving up his homeland and everything he cared about for a life of a self-centered celebrity in North America.”
Related: Everything We Know About Harry & Meghan’s $14.65M Montecito Mansion
The future of their relationship is still pending
With Harry and Megan 6,000 miles away from England, and a global pandemic that makes international travel all but impossible, it does not seem that there is a good chance for the two princes to resolve their falling out. But the lines of communication are still open; the royal family as a while is reportedly spending their Christmas holiday just like every other family this year: over a Zoom call.