Meghan And Harry's New Position On The Royal Website Hints At Their Relationship With King Charles
Prior to the queen's death, royal watchers worried about what would happen to Meghan Markle and Prince Harry when Charles became king. And, thus far, nothing much has changed. However, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are still very much on the outs with Charles, and, indeed, the rest of the family. A royal insider even warned the Daily Beast that the king might be planning to "exile" his youngest son as a result of Harry's recent behavior.
The source compared the situation to what happened when King Edward VIII abdicated the throne so he could be with American socialite Wallis Simpson. When the British public turned on the couple, The Firm followed suit and cast them out for good.
Something similar could happen with the Sussexes since, as the insider pointed out, "a wayward second son is far less of an existential threat to the fabric of the monarchy than a wayward king."
Numerous salacious rumors have swirled in the wake of Meghan and Harry's recent troubled return to the UK. An insider revealed to People that their walkabout with Prince William and Catherine Middleton wasn't as jovial as it appeared, crushing hopes of a reconciliation.
And, now, an eye-catching change to the royal family's website suggests that things really aren't looking good for them.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are officially at the bottom of the list
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex might officially be on the naughty list. Radar Online confirms they've been moved to the very bottom of the royal family's official website in the aftermath of the heartbreaking death of Queen Elizabeth II. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were previously somewhere in the middle, but they're now definitely at the end — crucially, the couple has been positioned alongside the likes of virtual unknowns Princess Alexandra and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
The news isn't all bad, though. At least Meghan and Harry are still on there, unlike Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, Marie-Christine, aka Princess Michael. The non-working members of the royal family have been removed completely, suggesting that there's still some hope for the Sussexes. Understandably, the celebrity couple's position was initially changed upon their defection from the family in January 2020. Prior to that, they were placed right after the Prince and Princess of Wales.
As Us Weekly reported earlier this year, King Charles intends to "slim down" the monarchy following several highly publicized scandals, including Megxit itself and Prince Andrew's sex abuse case. With this latest change to the royal website, it seems that the process has already begun in earnest.
Are things really that bad between the couple and King Charles?
Royal watchers erupted with fury over Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's seating arrangement at the queen's funeral. But the couple being put in the second row, while other high-ranking members of the family sat up front, wasn't the snub it was perceived to be.
As royal historian Gareth Russell clarified to Us Weekly: "That's the etiquette. If you know what the etiquette is, it actually is a place of honor." He continued, "To be the one behind the king is actually a sign of favor. What they seem to have done with this etiquette though is not prioritize [Prince William] or Harry."
In fact, as far as Russell is concerned, the only person King Charles was really concerned about was his grieving sister, Princess Anne, who was given pride of place on the day, including walking behind the coffin in a historical first.
On another note, Page Six debunked a previous report in The Sun that alleged Harry had ditched a dinner with his father at the queen's residence in Balmoral. A palace source explained that the Duke of Sussex actually arrived after his father and brother had already left, so there were no dinner plans.
As a result, we should probably take any suggestions about the Sussexes being demoted with a pinch of salt.