Prince Harry has again cancelled a planned visit to Britain after being denied taxpayer-funded police protection, prompting columnist Carole Malone to label him a 'petulant manchild' and accuse him of cruelty towards his father, King Charles. The 41-year-old had scheduled a five-day trip with Meghan Markle and their children, Archie and Lilibet, which was intended to mark the first meeting between Charles and his grandchildren in five years. However, after the UK's security committee (Ravec) reaffirmed its 2020 decision to deny him police protection because he is no longer a working royal, Harry slashed the visit to just 24 hours and likely will not bring the children.
Security Dispute Triggers Strop
Malone, writing for an unnamed publication, described Harry's behaviour as a 'fit of pique' and accused him of 'punishing' the King by leveraging the visit. She noted that the Appeal Court last year ruled against Harry's challenge to the security decision, yet he persists in asking Ravec to reverse it. 'How cruel is that?' she wrote. 'He plays with his father's emotions by dangling a trip to meet Archie and Lillibet then when Ravec knocks him back he says: “Stuff you Dad.”'
Hypocrisy Over Security Fears?
The columnist questioned Harry's claimed fear of terror threats, pointing out that he and Meghan are currently holidaying at a £6.3 million mansion in Portugal without police protection. 'Do they think terrorists don’t travel?' she asked, adding that if someone wanted to harm them, they could do so anywhere, including their home in Montecito. She dismissed the threat as 'all in his head' and driven by ego and a desire to get his own way.
Harry's security team has warned that terrorists could create a 'mass casualty event' if he is targeted at the 2027 Invictus Games in the UK next year. Malone countered that the biggest threat comes from 'lone actors' who target people receiving negative publicity, but argued that such threats exist everywhere and that Harry is not important enough to be a prime terrorist target. 'If he really believes his presence could trigger a terror attack at next year’s Invictus Games the solution’s simple – just stay away!' she wrote.
Family Friction Intensifies
Malone revealed that Queen Camilla avoided meeting Harry and Meghan by decamping to her old family home, while Prince William and Kate Middleton also refused to see him. She claimed that King Charles's attempts to accommodate Harry have caused friction between William and his father. 'The fact is none of the royals really want to see Harry or Meghan again because they fear they can’t be trusted not to reveal whatever they’d see or hear inside the royal household,' she said.
The article concludes that Harry needs to accept his family are over him and do not need the 'aggro he and his entitled wife bring with them everywhere they go.'
