As Prince Harry gears up for his upcoming trip to New York City, royal watchers can’t but wonder why he chose to fly solo, without his wife Meghan Markle. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently completed their four-day visit to Colombia promoting some beautiful causes. Despite the backlash it garnered, the Sussexes have another trip planned, this time to New York City in September, to advance their “patronages and philanthropic initiatives” while furthering the activities of their Archewell Foundation. This time, the Duke would make the trip without his wife, Meghan.
Prince Harry would represent the foundation at the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, and Climate Week, which runs concurrently from September 22 to September 29. He would also attend the Diana Awards during the visit before returning to his Montecito home.
Former BBC royal correspondent Michael Cole suggested that this trip, however dignified, was only concocted to prove Harry’s relevance years after quitting the royal family. Speaking on GB News, he noted that being a member of the royal family makes one relevant. However, for the “former” royal, semi-detached from the fold and living in California, constantly being on the move was necessary to prove his worth to the world.
Cole revealed that his recent trips to Nigeria and Colombia with his wife Meghan Markle were Prince Harry’s way of “being on the move.” His next stop on the agenda is New York, where the General Assembly and Climate Week would take place. The royal expert claimed that exposing himself to “the world’s biggest talking shop” and other high-profile activities debuting that week, while bearing the flag of the Archewell Foundation, would offer the Duke adequate publicity to stay relevant.
Weighing in on why Prince Harry decided to do all that solo, without the usual support of Meghan Markle, his beloved wife, the royal commentator admitted the motive was unclear. He hilariously opined the duchess just might be busy with her “jams” or fraternizing with her Montecito neighbors. A more serious point to consider could be the Sussexes’ May 2023 experience in New York, where they endured a “near-catastrophic car chase” by paparazzi that lasted well over an hour.
Responding to host Bev Turner who suggested Harry’s solo trip would only raise speculations because he already built his brand around his relationship with Meghan Markle, Cole said,
“What have they got to sell? They’ve got celebrity, and that’s a fast-depleting factor in all of this. And in America, they don’t want what was yesterday, they want what’s next.”
Cole further noted that this constant need to prove their relevance would never have been necessary had the Sussexes remained with the royal family. While Prince Harry’s recent globe-trotting with his wife Meghan Markle promotes their personal causes, his brother, Prince William has also made strides, taking on causes on behalf of the royal family. Coincidentally, he has one such engagement in New York during the same week as Prince Harry. While his attendance at the Earthshot Prize, like he did last year, is yet unconfirmed, the overall reception and motive behind their respective visits highlights the disparity between the brothers.
