Another day, another gossip surrounding the Royal Family. Or better said, another day Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get smashed on social media for… basically living their lives…
Turns out, the controversial couple attended the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love in Jamaica; among the attendees was also Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who has been very vocal about the country ditching the Commonwealth and finally becoming a republic.
Harry and Meghan’s appearance took the world by surprise as they hadn’t announced anything. But it’s also well known that the couple are very fond of the country and even consider it somehow home. However, although they looked as radiant and happy as ever, royal fans and commentators saw their outing as a clear offense or mockery towards the Royal Family. Why?
Well, the clear reason is that they think that by posing with PM Holness is a betrayal of the institution Harry’s family presides. In 2022, Prince William and Kate made a tour of the Caribbean that fueled controversy for their colonialist ways. Holness has been one of the leaders of the anti-royalist movement in Jamaica and the Caribbean, wanting to follow Barbados’ steps towards independence. He took this royal visit as the perfect moment to raise awareness in the country.
“Under normal circumstances, there would be nothing wrong with them going to a film premiere. But at a time when … Jamaica is making noises about ditching the monarchy, this is rather insensitive,” Phil Dampier, a very popular royal commentator, shared to the Daily Mail. It’s expected that Jamaica will be holding a referendum on the matter this year to finally cut ties with the Commonwealth and the British crown.
But the backlash goes beyond that. As we reported, both King Charles III and Princess Kate Middleton went through medical procedures last week. The fact that neither Harry nor Meghan made a public statement on the matter was enough to have people clutching their pearls.
“Clearly, the couple felt at home. But it’s sending out a message that they support that country when they haven’t found the time to make a public show of support for the King and the Princess of Wales,” said Dampier. However, he’s wrong; the fact that they didn’t make a public nod to the King or Kate doesn’t mean they haven’t reached out.
According to the Mirror, Harry and Meghan sent private messages to Harry’s dad and sister-in-law to send their best wishes in their recovery: “They contacted both parties in different ways to pass on their concern and best wishes.” The Telegraph reported the same citing an insider, but added that Harry found out about his father’s medical condition through the media. This has now been disputed as Buckingham Palace sources claim they told all members of the Royal Family, Harry included, about King Charles’ procedure.
All in all, it seems that the fact that the two most relevant and beloved members of the royal family are now on medical leave has left media outlets without stories to report, and as usual, dissing Harry and Meghan proves to be more profitable.
