A lone spectator shouted at Prince Andrew as he followed the queen's coffin through Edinburgh, calling him a "sick old man" – before bystanders and police tackled him to the ground. This has palace officials worried about future events leading up the queen’s funeral.
The incident was unfortunate, as many people were appalled by this person who decided to grab his moment in the spotlight.
Now though, the bigger problem is this: Andrew is due to play a huge part in the funeral procession next Monday, walking behind his late mother’s coffin at Westminster Abbey. Like any dutiful son, this is his right and, more importantly, his duty, but as a senior source told me, "We can't have the risk of this happening on the day of Her Majesty The Queen’s funeral and no amount of police protection can help at such a turn of events." Which leads from one problem into another: will Andrew step back to save further embarrassment to his family at this very delicate time?
Prince Harry is also, once again, at the center of controversy. He was the first royal to be swept out of Balmoral by security in the back seat of a Range Rover the morning after the queen died. However, what was the reason for this sharp exit? Harry, as ever, was furious at the suggestion that it was not right to have his wife Meghan up at Balmoral. As it was relayed that this occasion was for "close family," Harry relented, given the severity of the situation. But after endless calls back to Meghan, which were taken outside on his mobile, he departed without breakfast or any formal goodbyes.
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His reason, we were told, is he was missing Meghan and more so was hurt that she was not included in this family gathering. However, Harry has since, as we have seen, reached out, and under the guidance of his elder brother William, is towing the line for now.
Meanwhile, let’s say while it was all cordial in public with Meghan and Kate, not so much in private. The new Princess of Wales is keeping guard with her sister-in-law as she feels nothing can be said in public or private after Meghan’s issue of lies since she departed the royal family full time – a source tells me that Catherine is even more wary now than ever before. And with good reason. Let’s not forget that Meghan was steamrolling with bad press before the sad demise of the monarch and what Kate wants now more than ever is space between them as she deals with her personal grief, children and devoted husband William.
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What Harry and Meghan really require now with their brand moving forward is this... an official picture with the brand-new King Charles III. Of course, this will validate everything they need as a family moving forward when they return to the U.S. to "build their lives," as King Charles stated.
Let’s not forget that picture, more than anything, will be useful in their brand and on things like the chat show appearance with Jimmy Kimmel that Meghan had planned prior to this news. So far there are no plans to have any official portraits with Charles and more so with Camilla given that Harry is still holding onto that bombshell which is his book. All of that is set to kick off later in the year but, with a coronation invite ahead, will this curtail this wayward son?
Finally, if there is one royal that is really uniting the country it’s the stoic Princess Anne, and her devotion and service just do not begin to cover it – the bigger issue now is what role will her brother the new king afford her?
The public adore Anne, who has showed senior royals how it should be done and carries out more official engagements than any other royal during the year. If she does not get the recognition she deserves, it will reflect very badly on the start of King Charles' new and so far great reign.
