Sometimes there are coincidences that are too deliciously ironic for words.
Early Tuesday morning, the royal family’s official Twitter account took a break from posting its usual list of photos of Princess Anne Doing Things (my all-time favorite was last week when inspected a sewer) to mark Victory on Japan Day.
Here were the royals observing a day about peace as it was revealed that the two people who have caused endless strife for the House of Windsor are about to take the UK by storm and, maybe, a Netflix. crew in tow
Because also on Tuesday morning, it was announced that quintessential royal shakers Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, will be returning to the UK next month for a series of charity events.
They will be in Manchester on September 5, where Meghan will speak at the opening ceremony of the One Young World Summit before traveling to Germany for the Invictus Games 2023 One Year To Go event on September 6 in Düsseldorf.
They will then return to Blighty for Harry to give a speech at the WellChild Awards in London on September 8. Take care! So many frequent flyer points!
(According to the daily mails Richard Eden is “thought unlikely” to bring his son Archie, 3, and Lilibet, 1.)
But timing, oh, can be a cruel mistress, and the timing of the Montecito Two’s British return couldn’t be more complicated or already have the makings of a PR nightmare.
See, on September 5, when Meghan takes to a stage in Manchester to deliver a speech that will no doubt be full of dramatic pauses, the Conservative Party will hold its leadership vote to choose the country’s next prime minister, before, the next . day Boris Johnson will formally resign and return the keys to number 10 Downing Street.
(It won’t be about whether there are red wine stains on the walls of the official residence, but how much burgundy has sunk into the tissue paper.)
Not only will this ensure that Sussex’s high-powered comeback is unceremoniously pushed down the ladder into second or third place for the day, but it also sets the stage for a potentially very awkward situation with the Queen.
The Palace has already confirmed that the sovereign will interrupt her summer holiday at Balmoral to return to London for the change of leadership and, as usual, will meet not only the new prime minister but also the outgoing Johnson.
And that, of course, means the Sussexes and the Queen — you know, the woman who runs the institution that’s been the target of his nasty salvos — will be in the same place, at the same time.
Insert particularly dramatic music here.
The million dollar question, or should that be the $140 million question here, is: Will Her Majesty have time to see them?
The Sussexes are likely to stay at their UK base, Frogmore Cottage, during their departure, a property for which they renewed the lease in May. Meanwhile, the Queen will probably be on the road at Windsor Castle.
So at Windsor fair we set our scene: the monarch sits on her favorite couch, worn and covered in Colefax and Fowler, sipping a cup of hot porcelain tea from Horlicks, while just over a mile away away, Harry and Meghan will be busy scribbling in their gratitude journals.
So will they meet or not?
The Sussexes and the Top Lady, as the Princess of Wales called her, last clashed briefly during their platinum jubilee celebrations in early June, when they introduced their namesake daughter Lilibet to the queen
(The Ground reported the same month that Her Majesty had “forbidden” the couple from bringing a photographer for the happy moment.)
Before that, there was their quick visit in April when they were on their way to The Hague for the Invictus Games. According to biographer Tom Bower’s recent release revengeHarry had “asked the Queen if he could visit her in Windsor on his way to the Netherlands.” To secure her agreement, Harry appeared to give the impression that the meeting would offer an “olive branch” to “clarify the air,” Bower wrote.
However, any intra-family progress that might have been made was dashed when, less than a week later, Harry decided to tell American TV presenter Hoda Kotb that she had visited him to make sure that His Majesty was “protected” and that he had “the right people around him”.
The question is, come that first week of September, will we see Her Majesty taking time to see her grandson and granddaughter? Or could I surrender the grudge to end all grudges?
If the situation arises where both the queen and the Netflix fans are within a few minutes’ drive of each other and the nonagenarian makes no effort to watch them, then it will be very humiliating for the duo.
If the Duke and Duchess flew 8,500 km around the world just to be accompanied by Her Majesty, it would be a stinging PR blow; since it’s unlikely to impress its Netflix payers. After all, disgruntled, self-exiled former HRHs who the amiable and much-loved Queen won’t see are a much harder sell to the public.
What it really boils down to this next week in September is that it’s going to be a litmus test
how are things between the former army captain and his grandmother. Will we be looking at the Queen of hands across the aisle and peacemaker offering finger sandwiches and unfailing family love, or will Her Majesty bluntly reject the Sussex lips instead?
The Palace has so far remained tight-lipped on the Duke and Duchess’ visit during a “busy week” for the monarch, it said. The telegraphwith a royal source telling the newspaper that there are “a lot of moving parts”.
The elephant in the room in all this mess is Harry’s memoir, which may come out just weeks after his British trip, with October previously mooted as a possible release date. Will any of Harry’s family be willing to spend time with him if he is about to face several hundred pages of reckoning and aggravation?
Another factor in all of this is that guess who will also be happily living in the Windsor estate come September? That’s right, none other than William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children who will be moving into the four-bedroom Adelaide Cottage in the coming weeks.
Interestingly, a few hours after the return of the Sussex lands on social networks, the telegraph It was already reported that the couple now residing in California “does not plan to see the Cambridges”. That’s it then.
However, the queen is something else entirely. Will we see a cute grandma? A CEO right? A monarch eager to put the Tower back into service?
What it comes down to is that Her Majesty has the power to help make the Sussexes’ trip something like a successful return to the British spotlight (which could pave the way for more time on UK soil) or somewhat like a bust characterized by mortifying regal rejection.
You don’t need a crystal ball to be able to figure out which option Netflix producers should probably be waiting and praying for, assuming they’re along for the ride.
And you know who probably won’t waste a second worrying about all of this? Princess Anne Because while there are sewers to inspect, lighthouses to visit (always a favorite of hers) and recycling centers the length and breadth of the UK to examine, she has work to do. (There is a lesson for us all.)
Daniela Elser is a royal expert and writer with over 15 years’ experience working with various Australian media titles.