Harry Solo In New York
Where is Meghan?
As scheduled, Prince Harry was in New York this past week (and will continue on there in the coming week) appearing at various events to support his charitable endeavors. On Monday, he was at a HALO Trust event honoring Angola’s work clearing landmines. Although HALO Trust was founded in 1988, Princess Diana put the group on the map in 1997 when she walked through a HALO Trust landmine field in Angola. Harry has adopted HALO Trust as one of his causes, continuing the work so iconically linked to Diana.
According to his office in the lead-up to this trip, Harry’s events in New York are varied:
During UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week in New York City, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex, will be in town to advance a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives," a spokesperson for Prince Harry said. "He will participate in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst. In addition, he will be furthering the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organization he co-founded with his wife Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.
On Tuesday, he was onstage at a Clinton Global Initiative event promoting his recently launched Parents’ Network, and, according to the above lists of events, there is more to come. Meghan has been notably absent.
I was interested to see two partially competing op-eds in the Daily Mail addressing Meghan’s absence. One from Richard Eden suggested Meghan and Harry are happily pursuing the separate business plans we learned about close to a year ago, while Maureen Callahan’s op-ed argues that Harry is unhappy and working to return to the royal fold. After articulating a laundry list of the Sussexes’ failures, Callahan wrote:
This constellation of losses is undeniable. What other escape route does Harry — a grown man whose only real job has ever been as a working royal — have but to seek reconciliation, and some form of return to his old life?
And it does seem that Harry and King Charles's relationship is moving, albeit slowly, towards healing.
For the first time in three years, the Palace posted a 'happy birthday' wish to Harry on his 40th — a wish reposted by William and Kate's official account.
Were the Waleses strongly encouraged to do so? Perhaps.
After all, William and Harry reportedly haven't spoken in over two years, even though they both attended the funeral of their maternal uncle, Lord Fellowes, at the end of August.
Still, that gesture from William and Kate is quite revealing.
For his part, Harry has reportedly pulped a planned 'update' for the paperback edition of 'Spare', due out next month. In place of new bombshells comes an uncharacteristic display of restraint.
I am not convinced that Harry is attempting a return to the royal fold as a working royal or a move back across the pond. I also do not agree with commentators, including Eden, who thought Harry looked super glum when interacting with Meghan on his trip to Colombia. Harry has generally looked dour for a long time; I don’t think he loves his life outside the royal family. But I think Meghan has helped him adopt a now very hardened victim mentality. Nevertheless, although there were times he looked down in Colombia, plenty of pictures showed him smiling and happy, and he seemed comfortable and protective of Meghan. People can put on a front, but