It was another typical Saturday outside Buckingham Palace. Tourists crowded the gates, e-bikes zigzagged around Queen Victoria’s memorial, and security guards fashioned makeshift barriers to cope with the throngs of visitors.
Amid this familiar chaos, the royal family seems just as perplexed.
This week, Prince Harry gave an emotionally charged interview to the BBC, stating that it felt “impossible” to return to the UK after losing a legal dispute over his personal security.
He extended an olive branch toward the royal family, expressing a desire for reconciliation, despite King Charles denying him “for security reasons.”
Was there any expectation from Harry, the prince who essentially called a truce with the media outside the palace? Opinions varied.
“He can’t have it both ways,” remarked Chris Jones, 67. “He opted for America, that was his choice.”
Jones suggested Harry could “make arrangements for his bodyguard.” He added, “He doesn’t perform royal duties anymore. He’s living in Hollywood, right?”
Harry stepped back from royal life permanently in 2021, explaining to Oprah Winfrey that it was a major factor in his and his wife Meghan’s departure from the UK.
“She’s literally very disliked and has received a lot of racist comments. I think she’s been treated really badly,” said 25-year-old Hannah Taylor in support of Meghan.
Yet her sentiments toward Harry were more tempered. “I don’t really sympathize with people who are really rich and have a lot of options,” she said, acknowledging the mistreatment Meghan faces while feeling less concerned about the couple’s security challenges. “I’m sure she can afford it,” Taylor added.
A tourist, Keith Andrews, 66, said, “We don’t miss them. They have nothing to do with the US, especially Meghan Markle. She sold her soul here and went back to America when she felt hurt. Goodbye.”
In his BBC interview, Harry criticized the security situation as “the good old facility’s stitch-ups,” urging Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper to investigate the matter.
Michael, also 67 and preferring not to share his last name, questioned, “Why should a British taxpayer pay for his protection? He has enough money.”
Caroline chimed in, suggesting Harry could simply take a taxi from the airport to the palace. She felt he was “a little disappointing for himself.”
“We saw it this morning and got over it. He has to face the consequences of his choices. He seems rather bitter. He left his country for what’s touted as a good life,” she reflected, adding, “He wanted to go to America with Meghan. Good luck to him, but don’t start crying now.”
