Prince Harry and Meghan’s book is turning into Game Of Thorns
JUST when you think things have gone quiet with Harry, Meghan and their quest to find freedom, there comes another dramatic plot twist.
The latest is the news that another chapter has been added to their book Finding Freedom.
Among the new “revelations” is the claim that some members of the Royal Family were “quietly pleased” the Duchess of Sussex missed Prince Philip’s funeral because they feared that she would “create a spectacle” if she attended.
Plus, there is news that Harry and his father Charles are only on “light speaking terms”.
Neither of which are particularly surprising.
The new chapter also criticises the monarchy after courtiers ordered an inquiry into claims of bullying against the duchess, while the couple’s allegations of racism did not receive the same treatment.
Harry, it says, was “deeply saddened” after being refused permission to have a wreath laid in his name on Remembrance Sunday last year because he was no longer a “front-line royal”.
It claims the couple “wouldn’t have survived” financially without Harry’s inheritance from his mother Diana.
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Oh, and Meghan had no idea diamond earrings given to her as a wedding present were from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is accused of ordering the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
In other words, rather than really reveal very much at all, the new chapter in the book — officially “unauthorised” but written by two people said to have access to Harry and Meghan’s closest friends — seeks to tie up loose ends and set records straight.
It also serves as a slightly menacing reminder to the Royal Family that the power of the pen is on the Sussexes side — and their unauthorised biographers are not afraid to use it.
Is the threat of yet another chapter, naming and shaming their various enemies, the omnipresent new threat hanging over Buckingham Palace like a Sword of Damocles? It could easily be added.
I was such a fan of Meghan when she entered Harry’s life, and of all she did for him.
She felt like a breath of fresh air and Harry had evidently never been happier. I even supported their move to the US.
Why shouldn’t they live wherever they wanted?
But I started to lose sympathy when it became clear they want to have their cake and eat it.
On the one hand, to be liberated from the burden of life in the Royal Family, on the other trading on their royal status, through a host of new projects, though they apparently want nothing to do with the other royals unless they are criticising them.
DOUBLE STANDARDS
It is hard to respect their double standards — worrying about the planet while flying on private jets, calling people racist when Harry’s own past is dotted with misguided moments.
And now this new chapter, airing all the perceived slights and supposed mistreatment, is totally tone-deaf given the unimaginable levels of privilege they enjoy.
It is like a soap opera. They have become a problem that will not go away, a weeping sore the Royal Family cannot heal.
Of course, there are two sides to every story. No individual or institution is perfect.
But the way Harry and Meghan have gone about airing their dis-satisfaction, not least on TV, does them no favours.
They have already caused so much damage. Where will it stop?
Will there be a reality TV show about their daily lives, like the Kardashians?
Harry and Meghan appear to have created a new role for themselves as thorns in the Royal Family’s side.
And it’s a far cry from the quiet life they have long professed to want.
Just a shorts visit, Lily?
EMILY In Paris star Lily Collins looked amazing at Clash de Cartier’s latest jewellery launch.
That blazer with those shoulder pads and lapels was just stunning and she did look a million dollars at the event in Los Angeles.
But, OMG, she totally forgot to put on her trousers.
Let 'em know what's up, Doc
HOW depressing to read that nine in ten female doctors have experienced sexism at work, including unwanted physical contact, denial of opportunities – and being asked to massage male colleagues in meetings.
And while four per cent of male doctors feel their clinical ability has been doubted or undervalued because of their gender, 70 per cent of their female counterparts cite this.
This kind of casual, everyday sexism is so routine that I am not surprised by the new report.
But I am shocked by how hard it seems to be for women, and their colleagues, to speak up about it.
The most significant part of the survey for me is that 42 per cent of doctors, female and male, who witnessed or experienced sexism felt that they could not report it.
So many women will relate to that. It is easy to worry about being seen as “difficult” or “militant”, or not being able to “take a joke”.
The temptation is not to want to rock the boat.
All too often it feels easier to just put up and try to laugh it off or ignore it
But nothing will change until women, and their colleagues, start calling it out on a daily basis.
I don’t know a single woman, including me, who hasn’t experienced sexism in their life.
The best way to deal with it is to stand up for yourself and demand action.
Youth crisis
I’M troubled by news that kids are the unhappiest they have been for ten years.
The report for The Children’s Society says many are worrying about school, friends and how they look.
Of course, this has been worsened by the isolation and disruption to their education caused by the Covid pandemic over the past year and a half.
But anxiety and depression in young people is on the rise, and there is simply not enough support out there for them.
So this is a good moment for the Government to invest in mental health services for young people and make sure support is available to anyone who needs it.
Clean up
EXTINCTION Rebellion, the environmental campaign group currently trying to bring London to a standstill, apparently left 120 tons of rubbish on streets when they last took over the capital.
That mess, in October 2019, cost taxpayers £50,000 to clean up, right, after protesters shut down major roads in a bid to encourage the Government to tackle climate change.
Leaving any rubbish, let alone that much, shows how much they care about the environment.
I know the whole point is to cause disruption but unfortunately they are risking alienating the country, which is counterproductive given how vital it is that we find ways to address climate change.
And how will disrupting the economy and destroying people’s livelihoods stop climate change?
We need to focus instead on India and China.
Felicity works it well
I’VE always loved actress Felicity Kendal, who remains a brilliant example of how to grow older in an inspiring way.
She says in an interview this week that the secret to staying fit and healthy at 74 is working out three times a week – and that she recently mastered press-ups.
She added: “I’m so pleased. Now, if I could only stand on my head . . .”
Asked if she plans to retire, Felicity responds: “Not at all. There’s a kind of relaxation in doing the work you like doing simply for the work itself.”
What an inspiring woman, and a reminder that if you love what you do, it doesn’t feel like work and you are happy to carry on and on.
Also, working clearly keeps you young, because your mind is still working.
May we all be like Felicity at the age of 74.
War on haters
MORE shocking than the footage of an Orthodox Jewish man being struck in the face with a bottle is the fact it was the alleged fourth separate hate attack by the same man in just a few hours.
In the same area of London, against three men and a boy – all Jewish.
Film shows a 30-year-old being hit with the bottle in Hackney by a man in Islamic clothing, inset, at around 6.40pm last Wednesday.
A separate video shows a 14-year-old boy assaulted at 7.10pm.
At 8.30pm, a 64-year-old grandad was left unconscious after being punched in the face while walking to a synagogue.
Police were also investigating reports of an attack on another man, yet to contact them.
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They are linking the incidents and treating them as hate crimes, and have released a very clear image of the suspect but no arrest has been made.
Why not? Any hate attack is appalling and we must have a zero-tolerance approach.