How Harry And Meghan Put A Burden On William And Catherine's Children

Following the tragic death of Queen Elizabeth II, many wondered if the shared grief of their beloved "Mother," "Granny," and "Gan-Gan" would be what reunited members of the royal family once and for all — particularly when it came to the ongoing rift between Prince Harry and his father and brother, the newly minted King Charles III and Prince of Wales. "The Queen adored Harry right to the end, and Harry adored her," royal historian James Hardman dished to People following the late monarch's passing. "I think she was one of the conduits between Windsor and California, and it would have been one of her dearest wishes that they patch things up," he maintained.

Sadly, however, it appears tensions may only be worsening. While the royal family maintained a stiff upper lip for appearance's sake at the queen's funeral, it appears there was major tension bubbling just underneath the surface. Take for instance the reports that Harry and Meghan were uninvited from King Charles' reception. "UPDATE: A Palace spokesperson has reiterated this morning that Sunday's state reception is 'for working royals only'. No further comment or guidance on why the Sussexes were invited (and now seemingly uninvited)," journalist Omid Scobie tweeted about the snafu. But that's not all. "In her brand new book aptly titled "The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and The Future of the Crown," royal correspondent and author Katie Nicholl argued that Harry and Meghan Markle's so-called "Megxit," placed an unfair burden on the Prince and Princess of Wales' three young children...

Let kids be kids!

"For Charles and William, the situation with the Sussexes hasn't just been hurtful and upsetting on a personal level. There have been real repercussions, particularly for William, whose young family has been thrust into the spotlight prematurely," author Katie Nicholl penned about the predicament regarding the Prince and Princess of Wales' young children in "The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and The Future of the Crown" (via Vanity Fair). 

Case in point: the youngest of William and Kate's royal clan, Prince Louis, hamming it up for all the world to see at the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. Subsequently, the young prince was missing in action at the time of the queen's funeral. Coincidence? We'll let you be the judge. "Would love to see a Home Alone type film of Prince Louis left to his own devices at Buckingham Palace today. Absolute carnage I imagine," one Twitter user joked about the young royal's notable absence. And while many had a good chuckle about the raucous behavior, historian Robert Lacey argued that Prince William most likely viewed the ordeal as anything but a laughing matter. "We've seen the children performing in front of the cameras in a way that cannot have been part of the original plan," he told Nicholl (via Insider)."We know that William and Kate want to bring up their children in relative seclusion and privacy, but the children have had to become a prominent part of the show."

Fortunately, not all hope is lost. Some even believe Prince Harry might eventually make his way back to the royal family and take back some of his duties and obligations thus freeing up the young children.

"I would not be at all surprised if some kind of new charter, as it were, with Harry is drawn up," columnist, talk show host, and author Tina Brown told host Kara Swisher on the April 25 episode of the New York Times "Sway" podcast. "Because I think they're going to feel they do need Harry in some way. And he might get a bit more of what he wanted...He could be a kind of commuter royal, I guess." 

Still, it looks like it would take a great deal to get everyone on board... including his big brother and first in line to the throne. "He always expected Harry would be his wingman; there was a long-term plan in place for the brothers to work together and support one another," Katie Nicholl wrote in "The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and The Future of the Crown" (via Vanity Fair). "After Harry announced their departure, William summoned aides to address the future, in what has been referred to by some in William's circle as the 'Anmer Summit.' But William and Kate also felt a sense of relief, that 'the drama was gone' when Harry and Meghan left, as a source told me. To this day, William still cannot forgive his brother."