Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's documentary interview has been making headlines since its airing in London last Sunday. The timing of the release, however, has reportedly "baffled and infuriated" Prince William and Kate Middleton as they returned from their successful tour of Pakistan.
According to the Evening Standard, a senior aide from the palace said that the documentary has overshadowed Prince William and Duchess Kate's royal visit; thus, offending the Cambridge couple. The achievements and hard work rendered by their entourage seemed to pale in comparison to the controversy generated by the Sussex's documentary Harry & Meghan: An African Journey, where Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan opened up about their struggles under the glaring eye of the media. It has been suggested that their emotional declaration apparently took the focus off the charity work the Cambridge royals have done as there is more buzz about the interview than the tour's success.
Apparently, there is an unwritten rule in the royal family not to overshadow the royal visits of senior members of the monarchy. The source also said Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have broken protocol by doing this documentary, which was not seen as favorable and progressive by the rest of the royal family. Other sources told E! News that some royals were surprised by the level of personal details Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan shared in the interview.
Not too long ago, however, Kate Middleton also seemingly overshadowed Meghan Markle. When the latter confessed that she was struggling with the media scrutiny and was under a lot of pressure as a royal on television, Duchess Kate took this time to post her first-ever social media message on Instagram. Critics of the Cambridge royals think that this was ill-timed.
While Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were in South Africa, Buckingham Palace announced that Princess Beatrice, Prince Harry's cousin, was engaged to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. Apparently, royal fans thought that the timing of the announcement was, again, off and it was as if Princess Beatrice stole her cousin's thunder.
Meanwhile, amid this controversy, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are going to take a break from their royal duties for six weeks. They will be flying to the U.S. to spend Thanksgiving with the duchess mother, Doria Ragland, and it will be the first visit on the other side of the pond for their son, Archie Harrison.
The break should be a welcome respite from the media coverage and online debates that have sprouted after the airing of the documentary.
