"Elizabeth II acted as a sort of bridge between the royal family and the Sussexes," British commentator Kinsey Schofield told TMZ the day after the Queen's death.
On Thursday, September 8, the 96-year-old sovereign passed away at her Scottish home in Balmoral, leaving behind a bereaved family and an entire country.
At his bedside that day, his grandson, Prince Harry, arrived on site an hour and a half late and left first.
Could the stormy relations between the Windsor clan and the husband of Meghan Markle explain his stealthy arrival?
Do they constitute the sign of a fracture between him and the palate?
In his first speech proclaimed on September 9, Charles III, new king of the United Kingdom, however, did not fail to have tender words for his youngest son.
“I also want to express my love to Harry and Meghan as they continue to build their lives overseas,” he said.
A statement in halftone when we know that the links between father and son had also deteriorated.
Read alsoStéphane Bern: “Charles III will put the family on dry bread”
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According to several experts, Queen Elizabeth II would thus have been, by far, the most indulgent towards her darling grandson (it seems, her favorite).
Indeed, “she understood his mistakes, his problems, she was very close to this” kid “whose weaknesses she saw”, explained Stéphane Bern to
Madame Figaro
, the day after the death.
Should the warm words of the new king to his rebellious prince be taken as the sign of a real reconciliation or as a simple facade?
A strained relationship
After the exile of the couple Harry and Meghan in the United States in 2020, their shock interview at the microphone of the host Oprah Winfrey, on March 7, 2021, had caused the effect of a bomb within the palace.
Comfortably seated on sofas, the Duke of Sussex first mentioned his loose ties with his father, Charles III.
Afterwards, his wife Meghan Markle pointed out the lack of support from her in-laws, when her mental health was at its lowest, and accused the latter of having made racist remarks towards her eldest son, Archie. (3 years).
An interview that would have “devastated” the one who, at the time, was still only Prince Charles.
But if these shattering confidences had set the planet in turmoil, ready to line up behind this marginal and different princely couple, it seems that since,
part of their sympathizers have changed their minds.
In question ?
The impression that the Sussexes are capitalizing on their image on the back of the Windsor clan, with big revelations.
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The two expatriates, who live in the upscale neighborhood of Montecito, California, have indeed signed a contract worth nearly 100 million dollars with Netflix to produce series and programs for children.
But they are the ones who are followed every day by an armada of cameramen, with the aim of soon releasing a documentary about their lives called
At home with the Sussexes
.
In the process, Meghan Markle also became the host and star of a biographical podcast called
Archetypes
, available on Spotify.
For his part, Harry announced the release of his memoirs, to be published by the end of November.
An "explosive" work that royal experts sell as a "bomb of truths" about the monarchy.
Read alsoDid the Windsor clan ban Meghan Markle from going to the queen's bedside at Balmoral?
'More trustworthy'
In this context, it is difficult for the royal family to trust its offspring.
A few days before the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Harry and Meghan were also visiting the United Kingdom as part of the One Young World Summit in Manchester.
We then expected a reunion between Harry and his brother, who lives just a few minutes from Frogmore Cottage, where the younger is staying.
However, the tabloid
The Sun
reported that, for Prince William, the husband of Meghan Markle was “no longer trustworthy” and that an interview between the two was in no way scheduled.
"William is deeply hurt and thinks his brother is overstepping the mark," an anonymous source told the
Daily Mail
at the time .
Are the cards really reshuffled now that the queen is dead?
Saturday September 10, William, Kate, Harry and Meghan, formerly nicknamed “the fantastic four”, appeared together, for the first time in two years, to pay tribute to the queen at Windsor Castle.
After gathering together along the flowers placed in front of the gates of the palace, they greeted the crowd who had come to cheer them.
An "olive branch", extended by William to his brother, since it was he who would have proposed this approach by text message to Harry.
Full screen
Prince William and Kate Middleton, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, this Saturday September 10 in Windsor.
POOL / REUTERS
But if the image marked, the theories on a communication stunt, more than a reconciliation, flow from both sides of the tabloids.
Especially since journalist Richard Kay revealed in the
Daily Mail
behind the scenes of this appearance, supposedly started 45 minutes late after an "intense negotiation".
"Forever grateful"
For the time being, Prince Harry wanted to pay a vibrant tribute to the Queen, this Monday, September 12, by way of a press release.
“Grandmother, I am forever grateful,” he told her, reminiscing about his “early childhood memories” with her until he met his wife and “beloved grandchildren.”
And to continue: “I cherish these moments shared with you.
You are already sorely missed, not just by us, but by the whole world”.
And to praise his "unshakable grace and dignity" before honoring his father, Charles III, proclaimed new king of the United Kingdom.
In video, Prince Harry and Meghan attend the One Young World summit
While the funeral of Elizabeth II will take place on September 19 at Windsor Castle, everyone is now wondering about the new appearance of princes William and Harry?
Will they once again walk side by side behind their grandmother's coffin?
Can we hope that that day, Harry will, in turn, hand over an olive branch to his older brother?