EXCLUSIVE :Meghan Markle leaves ‘lost’ Prince Harry in the lurch – the decision was cruel
Emily Ferguson discusses the biggest stories of the week, from Prince Harry’s UK return
Meghan Markle may have made a very poor judgement call (Image: DX)
Was Meghan Markle’s decision not to attend any public engagements in the UK to ensure the focus stayed on her husband’s passion project, due to security threats, or simply because she didn’t want to be associated with Harry’s toxic brand?
I may be being sceptical but, if my other half has had a week from hell, I’d want to be by his side to support him and help remind him of all the good his charity work was doing. And it’s not as if he’s got many friends and family left in the UK to unwind with and help forget the issues over his stay at Buckingham Palace and his extraordinary legal defeat.
Yet on the other hand, deciding to stay away helped avoid the Sussex circus from exploding into overdrive. Meghan’s first UK return since the late Queen’s funeral was always going to dominate the news agenda.
But staying away has projected an image of an isolated prince, especially when hours after Harry attended the Invictus countdown event in Birmingham, the Prince and Princess of Wales looked the picture-perfect couple at the polo.
At the same time as the sporting match in Windsor, the King and Queen were hosting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and their two children at Highgrove House. It comes after the King gave the green light for a meeting with his son’s family, as he was desperate to spend time with his youngest grandchildren after four years apart.
Only a brief confirmation of the reunion party was released by the Palace on Friday night, with no photographs or further information to be made public by either camp. Lets see if both sides are able to stick to that pact.
Queen Camilla played Pooh Sticks on Tuesday (Image: Getty)
I spent the start of the week in Ashdown Forest marking the start of my 30th birthday celebrations. My godmother took me to the inspiration behind the adventures of Winnie the Pooh, as it was my favourite character growing up (and still is). We stayed at the aptly named Bear Inn, which has four themed rooms: Pooh, Piglet, Kanga and Tigger and had a jam-packed itinerary. We visited Pooh Corner – a themed tea room, shop and museum – and of course, played Pooh Sticks on the bridge that inspired the beloved game.
You can imagine my amazement when I found out that during this trip, which we booked at the start of the year, the Queen was going to visit to mark the bear’s centenary and play Pooh Sticks!
Naturally, we had to pop along and observe the royal visit as members of the public (it wasn’t easy not to fall into work mode!), and my godmother Sandy even got the chance to say hello to Her Majesty. What a treat!
King Charles and Queen Camilla visited London Zoo on Thursday (Image: Getty)
The King and Queen had a hoot at London Zoo earlier in the week, with the pair in fine form as they braved the stifling heat.
Charles appeared to dance on Penguin Bench, holding his arms in the air after carrying out a health check on a penguin and enticing them with a laser pen.
Camilla was enjoying herself so much, chatting away with staff and admiring the birds, that her husband had to hurry her along to the next part, calling “darling” and gesturing her to follow.
Most husbands will have been in that position at some point, whether urging their wife to stop talking at a party as they attempt to leave, or if they’re spending too much time browsing while out shopping.
But I’m not sure many will have found themselves in the King’s position, whose wife was entranced by penguins.
Prince William played crazy golf at Hastings (Image: Getty)
Nothing quite says seaside like a spot of crazy golf. So it made perfect sense for the Prince of Wales to play mini golf on his visit to Hastings on Thursday, which saw him top the celebrity leaderboard after taking on the famous windmill hole.
William didn’t quite manage a hole-in-one, but finished with a respectable score. He told the teenagers and professionals he played with that he’d played the game with his family before.
He said: “We’ve played a few times. The children love it.”
William received modest praise from the professionals, who said his skills were “better than a tourist’s”. High praise indeed…
All eyes will be on the Royal Box at Wimbledon today, as royal fans eagerly await to see who will be joining the Princess of Wales for the coveted Men’s Singles Final. Last year, it was very much a family affair, with Catherine attending with her husband, Prince William, and eldest children, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
Many will be hoping to see Prince Louis in the stands, but we may have to wait a little longer to see the entire Wales clan attend together.
George and Charlotte were both eight when he first attended Wimbledon in 2022, and dad William first attended when he was a nine-year-old in 1991.
