Prince Harry, who has been in high spirits at the Invictus Games in Vancouver, has faced an uncomfortable revelation about his Royal status. A recent poll indicates that the majority of Britons no longer view Harry as ‘royal’, but rather as a celebrity.
The Ipsos survey found that a mere 21 per cent of Brits perceive the Duke as more of a Royal family member than a celebrity. In contrast, 40 per cent deemed him more of a celebrity, while 20 per cent saw him as both.
Out of a sample size of 1,091, 16 per cent didn’t consider Harry to be either a Royal or a celebrity, with the remaining respondents unsure, according to the Telegraph. Harry and wife Meghan Markle famously resigned as working members of the Royal family at the start of 2020, less than two years post their nuptials, resulting in the loss of their Royal Highness status.
The Sussexes are now virtually estranged from the Royal family after launching a series of scathing critiques on the Firm – in their Oprah interview, their Netflix docuseries, and Spare. Since their departure, the couple has seldom visited Britain and has only met with other royals on a few occasions; it’s believed that King Charles has only met his granddaughter Lilibet once.
The most significant rift seems to be between Harry and his elder brother, with insiders suggesting that Prince William no longer trusts Harry following his disclosure of intimate family details and public criticism of King Charles, Queen Camilla, William, and Kate, reports the Mirror.
The survey also revealed that Prince Harry is viewed negatively by almost three times as many people compared to his elder sibling, William. A mere 15 per cent hold an unfavourable opinion of the future monarch, while a significant 43 per cent harbour negative sentiments towards Prince Harry.
Meghan Markle’s public perception is even less favourable, with over half of those surveyed, 54 per cent, viewing her in an unfavourable light, in stark contrast to the mere 12 per cent who view Princess Kate negatively.
This comes in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s scathing remarks about Meghan amid discussions about Harry’s visa situation. Trump has stated he has no intention of deporting Prince Harry from the United States despite the legal wrangling over his immigration status, brutally adding that Harry already has “enough problems” with Meghan.
“I don’t want to do that,” Trump declared. “I’ll leave him alone. He’s got enough problems with his wife. She’s terrible.”
The controversy around Harry’s entry into the US was sparked after he confessed to drug use in his autobiography ‘Spare’. The Heritage Foundation, a think tank, has since initiated a legal challenge, demanding that the US Government disclose records related to Harry’s visa application to ascertain if his past drug use was reported.
The group contends that Harry might have hidden his illegal drug activities, which could have been grounds for denying him a US visa.
Claims have surfaced suggesting that US President Joe Biden may have shown favouritism towards Prince Harry following his move to California from the UK, after he and Meghan Markle stepped back from their Royal duties. The latest development in the ongoing two-year legal saga saw a US judge hint at potentially unveiling some of the sealed documents related to the Duke of Sussex’s visa application.
During a hearing in Washington DC on Thursday, the judge expressed a desire for “maximum disclosure as long as it doesn’t violate privacy”. They also noted they were “not foreclosing the possibility that there might be some possible relief” and requested Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit requests for redactions or “continued withholdings”.
President Trump, who has the power to request the release of these documents, previously cautioned that Harry could face repercussions if he was found to have lied about drug use on his US visa application.