Royal correspondent Simon Vigar has revealed a strange incident during Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 2018 tour of Australia, Fiji and Tonga. In his new book 'The Four Wives of Windsor', Vigar describes how Meghan cut short a visit to a market in Suva, Fiji, after just eight minutes, leaving an aide in tears and local vendors disappointed.
Details of the incident
The tour had been running smoothly until Meghan arrived at the market. Officially, the early departure was blamed on security concerns due to large crowds. However, Vigar, who was the pool royal reporter for the solo visit, recalls a different scene. “The market was busy but it certainly wasn’t overcrowded or chaotic in any way and it is certainly not how Scotland Yard saw it either,” he said. He noted that advance security would have checked the venue beforehand, and if there were real issues, Meghan would not have been allowed out of the car.
Possible explanations
Vigar speculates that Meghan may have spotted women wearing UN T-shirts. Meghan had previously worked for the United Nations and reportedly had a falling out with the organisation, though the Sussexes strenuously denied this. “Whatever the reason it was extremely odd,” Vigar said. “I have never seen anything like that happen on a royal tour.” He added that Meghan had just announced her pregnancy but appeared fine. “One of her aides was in tears and the poor woman stood next to me who had woven the names Harry and Meghan into two handmade fans never got to see her at all.”
Broader implications
Vigar, who has covered royal events for 30 years, concluded in his book that the engagement ended prematurely and the local female entrepreneurs, who were meant to be the focus, were upset. A senior aide confided to him: “Meghan understood 'the show' bit but not the cultural side of the Royal Family. Smiling, waving and talking to people is a fundamental part of the royal job, it is not some tiresome, legal obligation in a Hollywood contract. Meghan struggled to get to grips with the whole notion that they were there as working royals – that first and foremost, they were representing the Queen overseas.”
The Four Wives of Windsor by Simon Vigar is published on 30th July.
