Queen and Kate join forces as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s lavish lifestyle causes royal havoc
The Queen has been spotted with Kate and Prince William, as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were notable absentees amid rumours of a feud between the two families.
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Kate Middleton and the Queen have appeared as a united front as they arrived at church service — but Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were nowhere to be seen.
The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William spent the weekend with Her Majesty and Prince Philip in Balmoral.
It comes as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have come under fire after reports emerged that they reportedly flew on four private planes in the space of 11 days for a holiday to Ibiza and Nice despite being vocal climate change activists.
It’s also believed Meghan and Harry have hired a new staffer to help ‘rescue their reputation’.
Kate was beaming as she and the Monarch headed to the Sunday service at Crathie Kirk, near Balmoral Castle. The Duchess was understood to be wearing a £225 ($A410) peackock-patterend shirt dress underneath her navy coat. The Queen opted for a bright pink ensemble.
Prince William donned a smart suit and red tie and and rode up front in the Royal Bentley.
Two weeks ago Her Majesty invited Prince Andrew to ride alongside her in her car, in a determined display of unity following allegations about his friendship with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, The Sun reports.
The pair were pictured in high spirits together on the way to Crathie Kirk.
MEGHAN AND HARRY’S LAVISH LIFE CAUSES HAVOC
From private planes to a revolving door of nannies, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are causing havoc for the monarchy.
And it’s not just contained to Meghan’s controversial British Vogue cover or her much-speculated feud with sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
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Their apparent taste for private jets and hiring of three nannies in as many months for baby Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
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Harry and Meghan’s lavish lifestyle — including the former Suits actor’s designer-studded wardrobe billed at more than $1.4 million — is usually paid for by the public purse.
But this time, the couple’s close friend, Sir Elton John, bankrolled the flights.
The Rocketman singer paid for the royals to use the private aircraft when they visited his $A26.8 million “summer home” in the south of France.
The fuel-guzzling move led to a string of criticism including from British TV personality and outspoken Meghan critic, Piers Morgan.
“So the ‘overworked’ millionaire ‘ecowarrior’ Sussexes cadged a freebie private jet off their pop star mate, who then paid cash to offset their damage to the environment?,” Morgan tweeted.
Amid huge backlash in the UK press, John — who was close friends with Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana — defended the royals, describing the criticism as “distorted” and “malicious” (John had paid for the flights to be “carbon neutral”).
“I am deeply distressed by today’s distorted and malicious account in the press surrounding the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s private stay at my home in Nice last week,” John said in a statement.
“Prince Harry’s Mother, Diana Princess Of Wales was one of my dearest friends.
“I feel a profound sense of obligation to protect Harry and his family from the unnecessary press intrusion that contributed to Diana’s untimely death.”
Privately, Meghan has apparently refused to buy into the controversy and is instead focusing on the launch of her clothing line for women’s charity, Smart Works.
“She’s moving on and riding above the storm,” a royal source told Vanity Fair.
“She’s not wasting time or energy on the row over the private jets, instead she’s getting very excited about the new launch.”
Regardless of who paid, the couple’s use of private jets was seen as a hypocritical move, given they had previously said “there is a ticking clock to protect our planet”.
“We are jeopardising this beautiful place we call home — for ourselves and for future generations. Let’s save it. Let’s do our part,” Meghan and Harry said in a joint Instagram post.
So is this all contributing to the fall of the House of Sussex?
“They’re definitely being picked on in a bigger way than other royals have before,” said
Australian Women’s Weekly editor-at-large Juliet Rieden.
“There’s a lot of nitpicking criticism that is very bitchy and it’s also moved into the mainstream now,” Ms Rieden told News Corp Australia.
“The Sussexes are getting an awful lot of flack for stuff that, a lot of it has gone on before.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also raised eyebrows this week when it was revealed that they had hired yet another nanny.
The new staffer was reportedly called a “godsend” for Meghan and accompanied the family on holidays — and on-board private jets — this month.
“Meghan is a very hands-on mum but the new nanny is a godsend,” a source told British newspaper The Sun.
“(The nanny) is extremely professional, with a number of nannying years under her belt, and has fitted into the family really well.
“She’s great with little Archie and just adores him. Harry and Meghan are very happy with her.”
The couple’s first nanny was reportedly sacked for being “unprofessional”, while a second was hired to work at night.
The latest hire — who is not living with the royals at Frogmore Cottage in Windsor — will join the Sussexes on their royal tour of South Africa in October.
After a string of staff resignations from the royal household, Meghan and Harry recently appointed a housekeeper and a new private secretary, Fiona Mcilwham.
She is a former British Ambassador to Albania whose role with the couple is equivalent to a chief-of-staff.
‘IT’S NOT UNHEARD OF’
While Harry and Meghan have been credited with boosting the popularity of the British royal family, this has undoubtedly led to extra scrutiny.
“The Sussexes are having a rough time with it and they’re doing what they can, which is using their Instagram account to promote their charities,” Ms Rieden said.
“The nanny thing is total reported gossip — we don’t have any accurate information on that, I don’t think how many nannies someone hires is any of our business. That’s a private matter.”
But does this all affect “brand Sussex”?
“No, they’re the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and they’re performing a role for the royal family, which has increased the popularity of the monarchy,” Ms Rieden said.
“Prince Harry, in a recent poll, is the second in the most popular royals after the Queen,” she said.
“I’ve seen the public with Prince Harry and the Duchess of Sussex and they love them.
“It’s not reflected in the public’s reaction on the streets. I think it’s unjustified.”
It wasn’t unusual for royals to fly on private jets, either.
“Members of the royal family have taken private planes before this,” Ms Rieden said.
“It’s not unheard of. Of course, we know the privacy issues and the security issues and the uproar if a scheduled flight was late.
“I don’t know what we expect them to do — they’re a newly-married royal couple.
“They’ve both got personal wealth, they want to take a quick break on holiday and use a private plane!
“Yes, they’re also ecowarriors and want to save the planet. We’ve got to live in the real world and I feel like they’re being held up to a much higher account than everybody else.”
Last month, Harry was accused of acting more like a Hollywood star than a proper royal — and perhaps flying private has added to that image.
Once known for being approachable and affable, Harry was increasingly displaying a more guarded public image.
As royal biographer Penny Junor wrote in London’s Sunday Times last month: Prince Harry “is acting like an A-lister over Archie’s christening, not a royal”.
“They can’t have it both ways,” Junor wrote in the Sunday Times.
“Either they are totally private, pay for their own house and disappear out of view, or play the game the way it is played.”
It seems neither Harry or Meghan are following the rule book.
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