The jubilee of Queen Elizabeth and the royal fight: the backstage of a family reunion that ended badly

Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee is over, the Duke of Cambridge has been seen selling homeless magazine on the streets of London’s Kensington, and the minimal Royal Family has restarted their agenda. Those four days of celebration in Britain showed off a happy royal family but not necessarily united and much less reconciled.

the Duke of Cambridge he did not spend time with his brother when Meghan and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, visited Britain for 70 years on their grandmother’s throne. The queen met her great-granddaughter Lilibet, ma did not allow Harry insert his photographer in the scene of the meeting between the two Lilibets.

This is the summary of a historic weekend, in a dysfunctional and historically relevant family. William and Harry were in the same building once in St Paul’s Cathedral for the Thanksgiving service last Friday. But neither the two brothers nor Meghan and Kate, the future queen, looked at each other in the baroque building.

They had no personal interaction, suggesting that the deep rift between the once close siblings still exists and runs deep.

No children or cousins ​​were found

Cambridge children they did not know their cousins Archie, three, and Lilibet, one, Sussex children. The Duchess of Cambridge and her children were photographed in the same room as Harry and Meghan at Trooping the Color on Thursday. But there was not the slightest exchange.

The Sussexes were found by photographers with an 800mm telephoto lens because they did not go out onto the balcony or window of the Duke of Wellington’s office. But they chose the low profile when they saw the Duchess of Sussex playing with the royal youthSavannah Phillips and Mia Tindall.

The Sussexes were not invited to the Buckingham Palace balcony by order of the queen. Yes, it was the Royal Working Family. Nor were they part of the secret “cousins’ lunch”, which gathered everyone in the palace after the appearance on the balcony.

Absolute emptiness for the Sussexes, fearing that table conversations had leaked on Netflix or irritate William and Katewith whom the bond is still broken, after the Sussex accusations of “racism” against the Royal Family and William directly.

They were invited but they didn’t go

The American tabloid The New York Post reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited William, Kate, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis to Lilibet’s first birthday party at Frogmore Cottage on Saturday, but the family did not participate. Instead, they chose to wish Lilibet a happy birthday on social media.

The Cambridge family traveled to Cardiff with their children on their first official family visit to Wales. Then they attended the concert at Buckingham Palace with all their cousins ​​and children, where not even the Sussex.

“The Sussexes left without spending time alone with William, Kate and the mini Cambridge. Their children, Archie and three-year-old Lili, were unable to see their cousins, “the newspaper said.

The Cambridge were visiting Cardiff on behalf of the Queen, then returned to London to attend the jubilee concert Party at the Palace.

The queen was first introduced to her great-granddaughter on Thursday. But to Harry and Meghan they couldn’t bring a photographer to capture the moment. There were reportedly concerns that these could be released to US media or by Netflix, which is making a documentary about the couple. “No chance,” the queen replied when she was asked for a photo. “It’s a private meeting,” she explained.

The news was leaked via Mike Tindall, the former England rugby player whose wife, Zara, is the daughter of Princess Anne. The huge Yorkshire sportsman said it was a “lovely weekend”.

“It was exceptional”he told The Good, The Bad and The Rugby podcast. “It was great to be a part of it. On Thursday we had lunch with the cousins. This was the highlight. “

Tindall’s tale

He said the royals also gathered for drinks after Saturday’s concert, led by Diana Ross. “After the parade, I was basically trying to get out as fast as possible. After the concert there was a little more conversation. We went in and afterwards we had a drink with everyone ”.

He said that the young royals, including Prince Louis, they were difficult to controlsince they had eaten sweets earlier in the day.

“Louis, he just wanted to have fun. And my two girls are always bad. So I was trying to stay in control. There were a lot of sweets in the back, so there was a real sugar rush. “

“It is difficult for them. They are all boys. It is a long time for them to be there yet. But as any parent knows, you just do what needs to be done, “explained Tindall, which is very dear to the queen.

The Tindalls and their children attended the picnic the Sussexes celebrated Lilibeth’s first birthday at Frogmore Cottage. He was joined by the princesses Eugenia and Beatrice plus their husbands. Not the rest of the royal family.

Describing the Queen’s sketch with Paddington Bear, Tindall added: “She is now officially a qualified actress. It was probably for the best. The drones were good enough to be honest. “

“She was fantastic, comical. I always said it was fun. She did it. “

Although Harry and Meghan were not given the same status as working royals, they were granted a higher status than some minor royals, arriving by car for service at St Paul’s Cathedral. Others, like the Tindalls, they arrived for the service at the cathedral on a bus.

In service, Harry seemed the more nervous of the two. Meghan, wearing a Dior trench coat and white hat, was all smiling as she walked through the cathedral. Harry bit his lip sometimes and nodded to the congregation.

Harry wasn’t sitting in the front rowwhich was reserved for working members of the royal family, including the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their children.

Harry was shocked to find himself sitting in the second row.along with princesses Eugenie, Beatrice and their husbands when he is sixth in line of succession to the throne, after the Cambridge and their son George.

early return

After seeing Queen Elizabeth twice, the Sussexes decided to return from the airport on Sunday afternoon in their private 12-passenger Bombardier plane. From Hampshire to Santa Barbara in advance. It was before the last Jubilee parade began: twelve hours later, without stopping, they landed in California. Your security team has taken care of your protection and your luggage.

The royal family fears Harry’s biography, which will appear in the European autumn. William and Camila, the second wife of Prince Charles, think there will be uncomfortable revelations for the family and try to protect themselves. Although she and Prince Charles had been with them twice at their home, at Clarence House, before her return. Nothing emerged about a possible reconciliation.

Harry asks for an apology, after the treatment he received at the Jubilee, from members of the royal family. The Royals want the Sussexes to apologize. The conflict remains blocked and far from resolved.

The queen was ordered by the courtiers to prevent any photography. For them, fear is called Netflix. The fantasy was that the chain followed every step of the Sussexes to London for their documentary and didn’t want to give them a single chance to get material with the Queen. The Court’s purpose was to prove that the Sussexes no longer count or belong to the hardworking royal family the Queen relies on.

Nobody knows if the Sussexes will ever return to Britaindespite having renovated the “lease” of Frogmore Cottage, their home.

PB