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Harry and Meghan’s titles shock; Kate’s ‘rough’ cancer battle

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will be discussed at a royal summit as more details emerge about Princess Catherine’s harrowing year.

'It wasn’t the right fit': Prince Harry's chief of staff has quit after just three months

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s titles are at risk as the royal family meet for talks at their annual summer break at Balmoral in Scotland, it has been revealed.

One topic that will be discussed at the royal summit is how the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will fit in with the royal family over the next decade, The Express reports.

Harry and Meghan’s titles will be up for discussion as well as their overseas faux-royal tours.

It comes as the pair prepare to touch down in Colombia on Thursday, local time.

The trip is being viewed by some locals as a blatant self-promotion attempt for the country’s under-fire government.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be topic of discussion at Balmoral for the royals, insiders say. Picture: Getty Images
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry will be topic of discussion at Balmoral for the royals, insiders say. Picture: Getty Images

“The royal family are meeting at Balmoral to discuss a number of different things, but one of them will be the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” a source told The Express.

“What people don’t realise is that the Balmoral gathering isn’t just a summer holiday. The family also participates in prearranged meetings where they discuss the family’s current position and how they can best prepare for the future.

“Last year was very much about honouring the Queen as it was the King’s first time hosting the gathering since her death, but this will be about how the family can best move forward without the Sussexes.

“Not only will Harry and Meghan’s tours and upcoming trip to Canada be on the agenda, but also their titles and peerages will be up for discussion.”

Meanwhile, a royal insider has predicted when Princess Catherine could make her next public appearance as reports emerge about the royal’s harrowing year behind the scenes.

The Express reports that the mother of three will next be seen at the Remembrance Sunday service in November.

Behind her radiant smile, Princess Catherine, pictured at Wimbledon, has had a harrowing year. Picture: WireImage
Behind her radiant smile, Princess Catherine, pictured at Wimbledon, has had a harrowing year. Picture: WireImage

Princess Catherine has stepped back from royal duties this year as she continues her recovery from cancer.

The popular royal is tentatively making a return to public life after a traumatic few months.

She delighted royal fans by appearing in a video with Prince William earlier this week as they congratulated Team GB on the Paris Olympic Games effort.

She appeared alongside her young family at this year’s Trooping the Colour on June 15 and royal also attended the men’s final at Wimbledon, where she received a standing ovation.

But behind her brave face, she has been struggling more than people realise, according to royal sources.

Princess Catherine and Prince William congratulated Team GB ahead of the 2024 Olympics closing ceremony. Picture: @kensingtonRoyal on X
Princess Catherine and Prince William congratulated Team GB ahead of the 2024 Olympics closing ceremony. Picture: @kensingtonRoyal on X

According to the Daily Mail’s Rebecca English, it’s been a “rough, rough time” for both Catherine and her husband in what has been the “toughest year of their lives together.”

“It’s been a rough, rough time, a really difficult year for the entire family. And as she herself said, she is not out of the woods yet,” a source told the Daily Mail reporter.

“I don’t think people realise how much she has gone through behind the scenes and for how long, far longer than anyone actually appreciates.

“She’s an incredibly strong woman, but she really has been through the wars. Her treatment and recovery is still a priority and will be ongoing for some time to come.”

SUSSEXES’ CONTROVERSIAL COLOMBIA TRIP

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited to Colombia by the country’s Vice President Francia Marquez.

The couple – who quit royal duties in 2020 and relocated to Los Angeles – also visited Nigeria earlier this year on a royal-style trip.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Nigeria in May. Now they’re headed to Colombia. Picture: AFP
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited Nigeria in May. Now they’re headed to Colombia. Picture: AFP

But in Colombia, the Sussexes’ tour has been met with cynicism with many believing the government is using the ex-royals as “political pawns” to draw attention from a series of scandals that have engulfed the regime.

“I’m sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated,” a prominent Colombian lawyer told the Daily Mail.

“Of course, their star-power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia … but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago. They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad.”

The Sussexes received an enthusiastic reception in Nigeria. Picture: Getty Images
The Sussexes received an enthusiastic reception in Nigeria. Picture: Getty Images

Vice President Marquez’s office confirmed the trip would begin on Thursday local time, but would not give details on the trip.

But a royal author has leapt to the couple’s defence saying Prince Harry “wants to elevate Meghan to the status accorded to her” with their quasi-royal tour of Colombia.

Ahead of the couple’s Colombia visit, royal author Anna Pasternak bizarrely compared the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s ill-advised trip to Germany in 1937 where they were chaperoned for much of their visit by Adolf Hitler – less than one year after the abdication crisis in England.

The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with Adolf Hitler, made an ill-advised trip to Nazi Germany in 1937 one year after the abdication crisis. Picture: Supplied
The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, with Adolf Hitler, made an ill-advised trip to Nazi Germany in 1937 one year after the abdication crisis. Picture: Supplied

“They accepted [the invitation] because Edward felt so hurt and angered by the way Wallis had been rejected by the Royal Family and he desperately wanted her to experience the pomp and ceremony of a royal tour,” Pasternak told The Telegraph.

“He wanted Wallis to be addressed as HRH and for people to curtsy to her. I’m not suggesting that Harry wants the pomp and ceremony of a Royal tour, but there is a feeling that he’d like (to elevate) Meghan to the status accorded to her.”

What’s more, the author – who has written multiple books on the Duchess – noted how the Sussexes “really value the approval of the people of the country they’re visiting”.

“They can go and be honoured in their own right.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exited the Royal Family but seemingly still want to embark on quasi-royal tours. Picture: Getty Images
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle exited the Royal Family but seemingly still want to embark on quasi-royal tours. Picture: Getty Images

Meanwhile, the Sussexes are facing a crisis closer to home after it was revealed earlier this week that the couple’s chief of staff had “quit after only three months” in the job.

When Prince Harry appointed Josh Kettler, it was said that he was the perfect man to “guide” Harry “through his next phase” but it was revealed earlier this week that the American is “no longer working for them”.

The Sussexes have found it difficult to retain staff with as many as 18 leaving since the couple left Britain for a new life in the US in 2020.

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/why-prince-harry-meghan-markles-colombia-tour-is-controversial/news-story/578fc0c0d79ebc3448923b630c13fec6