PRINCE William and Kate Middleton have been left “frustrated” with Meghan and Harry are they are launching a “rival court” in California, according to a royal author.
Phil Dampier claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could have taken a “great weight off their shoulders”, particularly with Kate’s health struggles this year.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020 to do their own projects, and have recently announced they will be doing a tour in Colombia.
Speaking to Fabulous, Phil said: “All of a sudden, the slimmed-down monarchy by default is looking very slim, so they are thin on the ground, and obviously, were they still working royals, Harry and Meghan could have taken up a lot of the slack.
“So it is frustrating.
“But we are where we are, and in some ways, you know, we’re going to have to wait until George, Charlotte, and Louis are another 10 years older before they can start performing duties.
“And in the meantime, it’s going to be difficult.
“Harry and Meghan could have taken a great weight off their shoulders, and certainly the late Queen had massive plans for Harry and Meghan.
“She thought that they would be perfect to travel around the Commonwealth and represent her, and represent the Royal Family, and carry on after she’d gone.”
Phil claims that Meghan and Harry have set up a “rival court” across the pond in California, but said that often their projects don’t overlake with William and Kate’s.
He continued: “Now that they [have] set up as this kind of rival court, they will obviously hope that things they do don’t overlap what William’s doing.
“He’s [William’s] got events with the Earthshot Prize that he’s involved in in South Africa later in the year, and Harry, of course, has got his Invictus Games, so as long as they don’t directly clash in terms of dates, and try and score points off each other, and they’re not directly competing in the same field, I think they can carry on.
“But it’s just tragic that it’s come to this, that they’re doing their own thing.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have confirmed a new “faux royal” tour just months after their “memorable” Nigeria visit.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been personally invited to spend a few days in Colombia by the country’s Vice President Francia Márquez.
It is understood they will jet over this summer in November when their schedule will include trips to capital Bogotá, and Pacific regions Cartagena and Cali.
The pair are set to “experience the rich heritage of Colombia” in a meaningful visit shortly before a conference on ending violence against children is held there.
It will be Harry and Meghan’s second tour after visiting Nigeria in May.
The couple spent three days in the West African country, meeting with locals and leaders.
THE Duke and Duchess spent three days in Nigeria to promote the 2025 Canadian Invictus Games in May 2024.
The trip was originally planned to mark ten years of the Invictus Games, which Nigeria joined for the first time last year.
The couple were personally invited to visit by the chief of the country’s defence staff, with hopes Nigeria could host a future instalment of the games.
After visits to a warzone and Meghan claiming Nigeria as “my country” – Harry said there is “only so much” he and his wife can do over Zoom.
At a Women in Leadership event on the Saturday, Meghan revealed she was 43 percent Nigerian thanks to a genealogy test.
She said the discovery for her and her mum was “exciting for both of us” because being African-American “is really not knowing so much about your lineage or background, where you come from specifically”.
Phil commented on people calling the Colombia trip a “faux royal tour”: That’s something which obviously the royals and the courtiers can’t stop them doing.
“If they get an invite from another country, they can do what they like and go on these events.
“It does rather look sometimes as if they’re kind of setting up almost like an alternative royal court.
“And they’re trying to be royal, while of course, they’re not actually representing the Royal Family.
“So I’m not sure that Buckingham Palace, I’m not sure the King and the courtiers who advise him are necessarily terribly happy about it, but there’s nothing they can do to stop them and they’ll just have to hope that they don’t on any of these trips, be it Nigeria or be it Colombia, blunder into any kind of diplomatic problem.
“Because if they did, then obviously there would be all sorts of problems.”
Francia Márquez said of the planned trip: “I am pleased to announce that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have kindly accepted my invitation to visit our beautiful country.
“During their trip, The Duke and Duchess will join me in visiting Bogotá, as well as the Caribbean and Pacific regions of Cartagena and Cali.
“In these vibrant locations, they will have the exceptional opportunity to engage with leaders, youth, and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress.
“Their visit comes at a particularly significant time, as it precedes the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, to be held in Colombia this November.
“The Archewell Foundation, founded by The Duke and Duchess, is renowned for its global leadership in fostering a safer online environment.
“The forthcoming conference will unveil a comprehensive framework for creating safer physical and digital spaces, tackling issues such as cyberbullying, online exploitation, and the mental health impacts of these threats.
“It will offer actionable solutions and commitments for countries around the world.”
Vice President Márquez added she is “confident” the Sussexes’ visit will “illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation”.
