What in the name of Heaven has happened to Prince Harry? It is a question we have all been asking for a long time, in the wake of Meghan’s alleged bullying, Spare, the Oprah interview, cutting himself off from friends, country and, if recent reports are to be believed, just about the last person in his family he was still on speaking terms with, namely his cousin Beatrice.
Every week matters seem to just get worse and now, oh the irony, his charity Sentebale has been accused of “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir [discrimination against black women]” by its chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka. In interviews at the weekend she called the Sussexes’ brand “toxic” and accused Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale”, a claim that is strongly denied.
What on earth is going on? Meanwhile the ghastly Meghan goes from strength to strength, fronting TV shows, hosting podcasts and doing her level best to muscle in on the great and good in Montecito.
Does it even concern her that the man she wed seems to have under-gone a full-on personality change? It is difficult to believe that this is the same bloke who charmed the nation, teased Usain Bolt, messed around with his pals and generally seemed to give the impression that life was a lark. Did the drugs that he has boasted of taking do something to his mind? Harry is becoming irrelevant.
Sentebale and Invictus Games were forces for good. They gave him some focus and purpose. These days life doesn’t seem to have much purpose at all, just lounging in a gilded cage watching his wife use him to lever herself into a leading role she’d never have managed without him, without the wit to realise it is only because of who Harry’s father is that anyone is paying any attention at all.
Harry has no concept of the hurt and upset he’s caused. If I were William or Catherine, I wouldn’t want to speak to him either. There was just too much vitriol there.
But I really do hope that, for his sake, that there remains at least one old chum that he hasn’t burnt bridges with. Because when it comes crashing down, as I sense it will, Harry is going to badly need some help and support.
