Royal expert: ‘Prince Harry & Meghan Markle are in very dangerous territory’

They officially stepped away from royal life in April 2020, and have been on parental leave since the birth of their daughter Lilibet in June.

But last week, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle marked their return to work with a visit to the One World Trade Center in New York City, to pay tribute during the 20th anniversary month of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The couple posed and smiled for the cameras, before being greeted by the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, and the governor, Kathy Hochul, and shown around the memorial and museum.

Later that day, Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, met with the US ambassador at the UN headquarters, where they were said to have discussed “Covid, racial justice, and raising mental health awareness.”

While the couple – who were staying at the £1k-a-night Carlyle Hotel and were later seen out for drinks at an upmarket bar – stepped back from royal life last year, the visit, complete with photographers, security entourage and meetings with politicians, could easily have been mistaken for a royal tour.

And royal expert and biographer Duncan Larcombe – who wrote Prince Harry: The Inside Story – says that he was stunned by the scale of the couple’s visit.

He says, “Harry and Meghan’s appearance at the World Trade Center really was a bombshell moment. I was totally baffled, and I suspect the royal family were, too. The event had all the hallmarks of a royal tour. Clearly, the couple are still planning on presenting themselves as people of importance. They seem to be doing the same type of work they did as royals, just on their own terms and without Harry’s family. It’s very dangerous territory. I imagine the royal family and their aides will be scratching their heads, but also fearful of what they’ll do next.”

In January 2020, Harry and Meghan announced they wanted to leave the UK due to intense media scrutiny, press intrusion and “to live a more independent life as a family.”

But since moving to the US, the couple have started curating new high-profile careers for themselves, including multi-million pound deals with the likes of Netflix, Spotify, Apple TV and Penguin Random House. They’ve also lent their voices to social and political issues, with Harry speaking out at the Vax Live concert in June, where he urged people to get vaccinated, and Meghan launching an initiative on her 40th birthday to support women returning to the workplace following the pandemic.

Meanwhile, over the past 18 months, their rumoured feud with the royal family has reached fever pitch – with the couple accusing Harry’s family of racism and mental health neglect in a shocking interview with TV host Oprah Winfrey in March this year. Harry also criticised his upbringing and father Prince Charles, saying in a podcast this summer that he felt “trapped”, and his upcoming memoir – said to be due for release next year – will no doubt include further bombshells.

There was hope that a reconciliation could be imminent, with Closer reporting last week that the pair were considering a trip to the UK this Christmas with Archie, two, and Lilibet, three months, to spend time with their family, including the Queen.

But Duncan now says that this appearance – which he calls “a bold statement” – is yet another shot fired at the royals and is likely to leave them furious.

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He adds, “Their stepping-out last week will no doubt be the first of many similar appearances and visits. Harry and Meghan are setting a precedent for their new line of work, and what they have decided they will be. They essentially did a royal visit, like they used to in the UK – just on their own terms and in their own way. So it seems they have quit life in the UK to do exactly what they did here over in the States. Their visit to the memorial last week makes them the first two ‘royals’ – if they can still be considered that – to pay their respects at the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

“There will no doubt be a lot of meetings at the Palace and talks over how they are going to approach Harry and Meghan’s plans. This visit was a huge two fingers up to the royal family and shows the royal feud is far from over.”

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Body language guru: ‘They had the air of a power couple, but Harry looked ill-at-ease’

Body language expert Judi James says, “It was very interesting seeing Meghan and Harry out on their first public outing since moving to America. It was a sombre occasion so it’s unsurprising there were only a few smiles for the cameras. But what struck me was, while they had the air of a power couple, Harry seemed ill-at-ease.

“He looked anxious and uncomfortable – which was odd because he is used to visits and appearances like this, more so than Meghan. He did anxiety rituals, like fiddling with his jacket, and appeared to constantly turn to look at Meghan throughout the video footage.

“This could either have been because he was worried about Meghan, or that he was looking to her for guidance. Meghan appeared to be the one running the show, striding forward first wherever they walked. With her dark outfit, her hair pinned back and her stern expression, she looked almost like a political leader, with Harry just there to support her.”