Comment
DAN WOOTTON
The Queen has a bond with Prince Harry – he’s like her beloved sister Princess Margaret
THERE is an inherent sadness behind Sunday’s heart-to-heart between the Queen and Prince Harry, which I detailed in The Sun earlier this week.
Partly because the four-hour, love-filled lunch over poached salmon and salad went so well.
5
Contrary to the belief of some royal commentators, the monarch is not overly concerned about not getting to see baby Archie, who will remain in Canada during Meghan’s return next week and for the foreseeable future.
She is surrounded by great-grandchildren and various other babies who she gets to see quite enough of.
But Her Majesty is deeply saddened about the loss of the Duke as a regular fixture in her life.
The length and tone of their first one-on-one since the Megxit summit shows just how deep the relationship between the Queen and Harry really runs.
5
She enjoys his company and the way they openly chat about life away from duty.
Perhaps the unbreakable bond was created that terrible week in the summer of 1997, when she put her reign at threat by insisting she would stay at Balmoral with “the boys” as they grieved for their mum.
TEARS TO THE EYES
Or maybe it’s because she sees something of her beloved sister Princess Margaret in Harry, an irrepressible spare who never quite managed to cope with having to live in the constant shadow of their older sibling.
However it developed, the Queen does not spend that amount of time chatting happily and lovingly to just anyone — especially, as The Sun’s great royal photographer Arthur Edwards pointed out to me, when racing is on.
What makes the Sussexes departure to Canada particularly difficult is that the Queen tried so hard to make them feel at home at Windsor, moving mountains behind the scenes to get the young family into a beautifully renovated Frog- more Cottage, providing them access to her team of chefs and even popping around as often as possible for tea. But the Queen is nothing if not practical.
5
She has learned the lessons of the unedifying exits of Princess Diana and the Duchess of York from The Firm and won’t make the same mistake this time.
That’s why she quite beautifully told Harry: “You are much loved and will always be welcomed back” — a line that brings tears to the eyes of a soppy old monarchist like me.
The Queen has not accepted that Megxit is permanent and probably never will. Harry needs some time away to explore and live a life where he isn’t playing second fiddle to his father and brother.
Duty and the love of his country might just pull him back soon, she hopes.
But perhaps the Queen hasn’t factored in the persuasiveness and passion of Meghan — a truly modern woman with very different plans for her husband and their “brand”.
It's over to you Chezza
5
SOMETHING Kinda Woohoo as Girls Aloud fans like me got fresh hope this week.
One of the main obstacles preventing the chart-topping band reuniting has been the feud between the lovely Nadine Coyle and some of the other members.
But Kimberley Walsh met Nadine this week and they seemed to be getting along just fine. Of course, the real battle will be getting Cheryl Tweedy on board.
Although with her last single peaking at No57, I think she might be willing to kiss and make up with Nads too. As the Pussycat Dolls have proven, there’s nothing like an enormous cheque to help smooth over bitter relations.
WHY TROLL BABY JOY?
CELEBRATING Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds’ impending arrival as some much-needed happy news for the country struck me as completely non-controversial.
After all, a high-profile pregnancy and cute baby being born at No10 always lifts our collective spirits, right?
Similar sentiments were expressed when Tony Blair and David Cameron said their wives were expecting while PM. The pregnancies of Kate and Meghan were widely celebrated, too.
But we are gripped by a nasty culture war driven by social media.
So after the happy announcement, Twitter once again became a hateful cesspit where apparently respectable professionals found despicable ways to slag off a young woman expecting her first baby, to a man she loves, and spout pathetic conspiracy theories.
Ironically, many were the same crew who have been banging on for weeks about the need to be kind to those in the public eye.
But those rules instituted by the London liberal keyboard warriors only apply if you have the same political views as they do.
If you are a Tory or a Brexiteer, or on the right or work for a popular newspaper, you are such an abhorrent human being in the eyes of the likes of Alastair Campbell and Jameela Jamil that you can be torn to shreds without a hint of irony from the perpetrators who are no better than abusive trolls.
End the shaming
5
THE idea that over-weight people need reminding that they’re the F-word (I refuse to call anyone, including myself, fat out loud) is nonsensical.
If you have been obese and still battle the bulge every day, you’ll know that being the F-word is inside your head every minute.
That’s why I embrace the idea put forward in the Pledge To Eradicate Weight Stigma, by Professor Francesco Rubino, from King’s College London, that describing people as fat, overweight and obese is just as debilitating as a racial slur in 2020.
Skinny folk convincing themselves that overweight people are McDonald’s-obsessed lazy slobs is offensive and wrong.
And that type of outdated approach will do nothing to solve our obesity epidemic.
MOST READ IN COMMENT
- GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]
Topics