Harry at Prince Philip's funeral: "Meghan's absence is convenient for everyone"
A year after turning his back on his family, Prince Harry is about to return to England to attend his grandfather's funeral alone, without Meghan Markle. For the writer Henry-Jean Servat, this time of mourning will not necessarily be that of reconciliation.
Withdrawn from the British monarchy and exiled in California for more than a year, at open war with his family since the interview with Oprah Winfrey on March 7 ... Prince Harry returns to England to attend the funeral of his great -father, Prince Philip, who died on Friday in his hundredth year. Seven months pregnant, his wife, Meghan Markle, will not make the trip.
If the British press seems to see in this furtive return of the youngest of Charles and Diana a hope of reconciliation around the British crown, the journalist and writer Henry-Jean Servat imagines, him, a muffled and civilized reunion. If Harry returns from England reconciled with his family, "then Meghan will have to back it up," he said.
Harry will soon take off from the United States for the United Kingdom, where he has not set foot for more than a year. Could we imagine that he wasn't there?
Henry-Jean Servat. No, no and no. He's going to go backwards, everyone is mad at him, but it's his grandfather. He is obligated for protocol, for history, for the facade. Besides, he wasn't angry with his grandfather. Harry is not ungrateful to the point of forgetting that when his mother passed away, Philip took care of him.
Remember the grandfather beside his grandson behind Diana's coffin on the streets of London. Prince Philip has shown interest and sympathy for Harry throughout his life, so Harry will be there for his grandfather.
Seven months pregnant, Meghan will not make the trip.
The pretext of pregnancy allows her to save face. No one is fooled, she is the first: if it had not been for the medical recommendations, Meghan would have been a little ashamed to be there, especially in times of mourning. She would have been very badly received under a vague varnish facade and family relations would have been viper. I think she is unwanted and you cannot expect the court to welcome her again with open arms. Basically, Meghan's absence is convenient for everyone, starting with her.
The couple sent a message on their site. Can you imagine Meghan delivering a more personal public message to send her condolences?
Meghan and Harry were satisfied with a photo with the two dates of birth and death of Prince Philip. They had an opportunity to make a tremendous apology to the prince, to say we regret having gone far, to address a vibrant testimony to the grandmother (Editor's note, Queen Elizabeth), but nothing happened. So a public message, I don't really believe it. A nice press release cost them nothing ...
Do you think, as former Prime Minister John Major said on the BBC, that this time of mourning represents "an ideal opportunity" for reconciliation?
The only problem is that only half of the couple are there: Harry returns to England certainly, but his home, his first child, his second to come, his wife ... are in California. . If he apparently reconciles with his family, he will have to make his wife accept it. Once the relationship between Harry and his family has calmed down, Meghan will have to back it up. Harry has no control over what will happen.
Harry, "disappointed" by his father Prince Charles and "estranged" from his brother William, will follow his grandfather's coffin on foot alongside each other. Do you think it can be explosive?
Charles and William are cast enough in the mold not to show anything during the meeting. If anyone says anything, it will be Harry. But I don't think it will, he has to go straight. If he's smart, he fits the mold of this grieving family and will respect his grandmother's grief. I don't think Harry will seek to settle scores.
