The first year of King Charles III's reign has been marred by the ongoing tensions with his son, Prince Harry, and daughter-in-law, Meghan Markle, according to royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams. The expert accused the Duke and Duchess of Sussex of "ruining" the monarch's inaugural year on the throne with their "unfair" tell-all projects and public complaints about their time as working royals.
Speaking to The Sun, Fitzwilliams said, "The facts simply are with Harry and Megan that after 'Spare,' enough was enough, so he had them evicted from Frogmore Cottage, and I don't think they expected it. And they certainly didn't like it." The royal expert was referring to the King's decision to remove the couple from their UK residence following the release of Prince Harry's explosive memoir, "Spare," in January.
The book, along with the interviews surrounding its release, contained numerous attacks on the royal family, which Fitzwilliams believes crossed a line. "To attack Queen Camilla was clearly a red line, as was pointed out by the press that he's so hostile to," he said. "Therefore it was important that the king acted as he did."
Fitzwilliams also accused the Sussexes of "monetizing" their links to the Windsor clan, stating, "There's no doubt that evicting the Sussexes from their domicile in the UK was something that showed immense royal displeasure. It was absolutely right to have done it."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been vocal about their struggles as working royals, with Meghan openly discussing her difficulties adjusting to life as a duchess. The couple has also alluded to the royal family treating them and their son, Prince Archie, differently due to their African-American heritage.
Despite the ongoing tensions, Fitzwilliams acknowledged that the Sussexes will continue to make headlines, saying, "They will forever, it seems, be in the news and precisely how they behave and what they decide to do a matter for them obviously."
The strained relationship between Prince Harry and his father has been further highlighted by the news that the Duke will not be meeting with the King during his brief trip to the UK to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. A spokesperson revealed that a meeting would not be possible due to the monarch's "full program" and "various other priorities."
This comes just months after Prince Harry rushed to his father's side in February, following the King's cancer diagnosis. In an interview with Good Morning America, the Duke said, "I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could. Look, I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him, I'm grateful for that."
While Prince Harry won't be seeing his father during his time in London, he is set to reunite with Meghan in Nigeria to promote the Invictus Games. The Nigerian Defence Headquarters expressed their "honor and delight" at hosting the couple, stating that they hope to one day host the international multi-sporting event in their country.
