Prince Harry and Meghan Markle drew a slew of mixed reactions after they unveiled their newest portrait earlier this month. Some royal fans and royal experts accused the couple of trying to upstage King Charles, Queen Consort Camilla, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, who also released a new portrait two days earlier. However, some people were also convinced that the timing was purely coincidental.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Portrait Strategically Released Days After Fab Four’s Photo?
Professor Pauline Maclaran of Royal Holloway, University of London, joined in the discussion and said that it’s unlikely that the timing of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s portrait was a coincidence. She said that it seems more likely that the Sussexes tried to rival the new Fab Four, who represents the British monarchy today.
“Meghan and Harry’s involvement with the queen’s funeral has emphasized their distance from the royal family, even while the royals were trying to convey unity. Overall, [the Sussexes] were very much on the sidelines and they disappeared quickly after it. Now, they have just issued their photos from the trip to the U.K. that preceded the funeral and it’s hard not to see these photos as rivals to those just issued by Charles,” she told Express.
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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle’s Portrait Sent A Message To The Royal Family
Royal expert Richard Kay echoed Maclaran’s sentiments. He said that Prince Harry and Markle tried to send a message with their new portrait.
“It surely can be no coincidence that the picture was taken when the couple [was] still in Britain and several days before they returned home to their children Archie and Lilibet. It must, therefore, be yet another signal that they will never again return to their central role in royal life,” he said (via Cheat Sheet).
For journalist Jane Moore, Prince Harry and Markle’s new photo proved that the matriarch is still the one calling the shots.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Will Receive An Award In New York
Despite the criticisms that the couple has been receiving for their every move, there’s still no discounting their contributions to society and the world.
The Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Organization just announced that Prince Harry and Markle are two of this year’s recipients of the prestigious Ripple of Hope award.
“When The Duke and Duchess accepted our award laureate invitation back in March, we were thrilled. The couple has always stood out for their willingness to speak up and change the narrative on racial justice and mental health around the world. They embody the type of moral courage that my father once called the ‘one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change,’” Kerry Kennedy, foundation president, said (via Town & Country).
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