Prince Harry, Meghan Markle accused of staging 'royal theatre' as King Charles faces new dilemma: expert
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are being accused of playing royals on their own terms — and sidestepping the late Queen Elizabeth II's wishes in the process.
On Oct. 15, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are scheduled to visit Nottingham for their first joint public appearance since returning to the U.K., Fox News Digital confirmed. The city holds special significance for the couple, as it was the first place they visited after announcing their engagement in November 2017.
Kinsey Schofield, host of the YouTube show "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital that, based on her sources, "there is frustration" inside Buckingham Palace as Harry and Meghan prepare to visit several charities in a manner resembling an official royal engagement.
"Harry and Meghan are no longer working members of the royal family," Schofield said. "King Charles recently reminded his government that the Sussexes are private citizens. The Sussexes appear increasingly determined to recreate the optics of royal life without the responsibilities that come with it. … The charitable visits, the appearances, the photographers. It’s royal theatre without royal authority."
"Royal engagements aren't just photo-ops," Schofield said. "There's diplomacy involved. There's soft power. Working royals represent the sovereign, strengthen relationships and serve the interests of the country. Harry and Meghan appear more interested in faking the image of royalty than embracing its purpose. They can imitate the engagement, but they can't replicate the authority or constitutional significance."
"They are pushing to reclaim the spotlight they left behind," British broadcaster Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. "It's definitely a reboot — a pseudo royal reboot."
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In January 2020, Queen Elizabeth II drew a firm line at the Sandringham Summit: There would be no "half in, half out" role for the Sussexes. They couldn't remain working members of the royal family while pursuing independent, income-generating ventures. The couple stepped back from royal duties that year, citing intrusive coverage by the British press and a lack of support from the palace.
"Following conversations with the duke, the queen has written confirming that in stepping away from the work of the royal family it is not possible to continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service," Buckingham Palace said in a statement on Feb. 19, 2021.
In response, the couple issued a statement of their own, saying: "We can all live a life of service. Service is universal."
In Nottingham, the couple will focus on charitable work. People magazine reported that they will visit a food bank, where Meghan intends to reconnect with some of the women she supported at the Hubb Community Kitchen in London. As a working royal, Meghan helped produce "Together: Our Community Cookbook," which featured recipes from women associated with the kitchen.
The outlet also reported that they will visit the Community Recording Studio, which helps young people affected by violence, and spend time at Epic Partners, which supports young people through mentoring and sports.
Although Harry and Meghan are free to support charities as private citizens, their visits are not official royal engagements, as they no longer represent the monarch. However, royal commentators argue that the couple's public appearances risk blurring that distinction.
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"The Sussexes have not been given permission to behave like working royals, and yet they seem to have gone ahead with their own plans to recapture the spotlight in the U.K.," Christopher Andersen, author of "Kate!," told Fox News Digital. "These are worthy causes that the couple was supporting previously, so that obviously takes some of the sting out of it."
Several royal experts told Fox News Digital that the couple's public appearances put King Charles in an increasingly uncomfortable position. While Harry and Meghan are no longer working royals, their titles, global profile and carefully choreographed public appearances can still look strikingly similar to official royal duties, even though they do not carry the authority of the crown. This, they argued, leaves the monarch to decide how firmly to enforce the boundary his late mother drew.
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"King Charles faces a severe problem because Harry and Meghan appear determined to ignore the late queen's instructions," Schofield said.
"They’ve retained their titles and international recognition, allowing them to stage appearances that resemble official engagements, despite no longer representing the crown. The king has demonstrated throughout his life that he can be decisive when protecting his interests and the institution. The question is whether he’s prepared to demonstrate that same strength when it comes to his youngest son."
"Queen Elizabeth was unequivocal," Schofield said. "You can't be half in, half out. If Harry and Meghan are determined to recreate that arrangement through the back door, Charles may eventually have to remind them why the front door was closed."
Andersen noted that the king is "weary of having to deal with all this drama" and of being "a sort of referee between his sons." However, Andersen said, the king may ultimately have little choice but to act if the Sussexes continue to blur the line between private citizens and working royals.
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"Anything that looks like an official royal engagement will definitely be interpreted as defying the monarch’s wishes, pure and simple," Andersen warned. "The queen’s decree was that members of the royal family are either all in or all out. And the king is determined to fulfill his mother’s wishes."
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace and Archewell for comment.
A source told People magazine that the Sussexes are "both excited to focus more on their work and the projects that matter to them."
The outlet reported that while the Sussexes reunited with King Charles and Queen Camilla in July, they are not believed to have seen the king in person since moving back to Britain. According to People, Harry and his father have remained in contact by phone. Harry and his older brother, Prince William, reportedly haven't spoken in years. A palace insider told the outlet that the rift between the brothers has only been "magnified" by Harry's return to the U.K.
Royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital that, as private citizens, Harry and Meghan have the freedom to pursue their own projects without requiring the blessing of the king or the Prince of Wales.
"There are suspicions that Harry and Meghan are trying to create an alternative royal family," he said. "Their first joint event together has raised eyebrows in some royal circles. But as they are now private citizens, 'The Firm' have very little, if any, power over them. This, in some ways, could be a blessing for Harry and Meghan and a curse for those in royal circles."
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Schofield said the Sussexes can't control how the palace will react, particularly if people within the palace believe the couple's plans disrespect the late queen.
"What should concern the king is the growing frustration among royal supporters who want to see him take a more assertive approach towards his youngest son and daughter-in-law," Schofield said.
"King Charles may believe that silence is the most dignified response, but there comes a point when restraint risks being mistaken for weakness. The monarchy doesn’t need to compete with Harry and Meghan for publicity, but it does need to protect the integrity of royal service and the distinction between working royals and private citizens."
"After years of telling the world how miserable royal life made them, they’re desperately returning to the very formula they abandoned," Schofield reflected. "Hollywood was supposed to offer them something bigger and better. Instead, they appear to be discovering that the royal connection was their greatest asset all along."