Can the Meghan the Duchess of Sussex make a royal comeback?
In 2018, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex was all smiles as she attended Wimbledon with her sister-in-law. But two years on, has Prince Harry’s wife ballsed-up her royal game or can she still make a comeback, asks Kerry Parnell.
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Did Meghan balls it up, or is it game, set and match for the Duchess? This time two years ago, we saw a beaming newlywed sitting front row at Wimbledon alongside her sister-in-law.
It’s startling how happy Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge looked in photos from that day.
Catherine was still on maternity leave, having had Prince Louis just three months before and Meghan was fresh from the love-fest that was her wedding to Prince Harry that May.
Looking at images of the pair giggling and whispering, it’s quite striking how relaxed and cheerful they seemed — and how different their demeanour was to become.
A year later Meghan attended Wimbledon again, but it was a very different picture. We now know the glamour of being a Windsor had faded, and Meghan, presciently, was determined to do things her way this time.
She turned up in jeans, at pains to point out she was not on official duty, but there to support her friend Serena Williams. Like Catherine previously, she was on maternity leave, having given birth to baby Archie that May.
But it didn’t turn out well — the public was confused she was there “in a private capacity” and looking back, it does seem a little naive she thought she could attend a public event like Wimbledon and not play the game.
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When Meghan’s bodyguards refused to let guests take her photo, she copped more criticism.
Piers Morgan, by then in full anti-Meghan mode, thundered: “A private capacity, at Wimbledon? This is so ridiculous. It’s rankly hypocritical and they’re not private people, they’re the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. If you want to be private, go back to America and live privately.”
They took his advice.
She did, it should be noted, return officially with Catherine, to watch the women’s final.
But clearly things were going awry — it has emerged this week in court in the UK that Meghan felt “unprotected” by the institution of the Royal Family and prevented from defending herself.
Meghan and Harry were becoming so unhappy, their emotions eventually burst out in an interview on their South African tour last October, leading to them severing themselves from
the Royal Family.
The Wimbledon photos highlight just how fast Meghan lost the royal game.
She started so strong, she was a wildcard heralding a new era of the sport.
But whether she peaked too early, needed a better coach, or just lost her form, in the end, she went out in straight sets and announced her early retirement, taking her doubles partner with her.
So was it love all for the pair? Or as I said, did Meghan balls it up? Only time will tell.
The couple are playing a long game in the US, showing their commitment to philanthropy and the Black Lives Matter movement.
And while Meghan and Harry might not be top seeds, maybe they will return to form Kim Clijsters-style.
In the meantime, the Cambridges have become Grand Slam Champions — putting in the hours and seeing the results.
It’s such a shame they never got to play mixed doubles as the Fab Four — if they had, I reckon they would have knocked it out of the court.