Royal Expert Suggests Sussexes' Actions Could Worsen Rift with British Royal Family
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry continue to challenge the authority of King Charles with their actions, according to royal experts. Despite stepping back from official duties, the Sussexes are embarking on a four-day visit to Colombia, exploring Bogotá and Cartagena. Although no longer formal representatives of the UK, their tour will still mirror many traditional royal engagements.
Royal author Tom Quinn, in an interview with the Mirror, interprets this trip as a deliberate signal to senior royals. As their second tour of 2024, it underscores their ongoing independence and defiance. Quinn, author of Scandals of the Royal Palaces: An Intimate Memoir of Royals Behaving Badly, asserts that the Sussexes' Colombian visit will undoubtedly ruffle feathers within the palaces Harry once called home.
Quinn elaborates: “The tour is Meghan and Harry’s way of saying to the senior royals, ‘We will continue to behave as royals whenever and wherever we wish, and there is nothing you can do about it.’ This can only serve to deepen the already significant rift between Harry and his family.”
He further points out that for the Royal Family, the Colombian tour is a frustrating reminder of their inability to stop Meghan and Harry from acting as though they still hold royal roles. Despite leaving official duties behind in 2020 and making serious allegations about their time in the royal family, Harry and Meghan have retained their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles, though they no longer use the HRH designation.
Quinn also notes that the couple, whose reputation has dimmed since their departure from the UK, may be seeking to restore some of their former glamour through a successful tour. However, their choice of destination is not without risks, as Colombia is known for its high terrorist threat and soaring rates of abductions. The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has advised against non-essential travel to the country.
