Between a royal rock and a Californian hard place; in defence of Harry skipping an invitation to the Palace

Harry entered Westminster Abbey flanked by members of Prince Andrew’s family, seated next to Jack Brooksbank and far afield from some of the working Royal family members. His arrival, as expected, was timed to avoid a potential bottleneck getting into the Abbey, and potentially bump into Prince William, Prince of Wales - with media reports still claiming there is bad blood between them,

Then, just as the Royal procession was making its way to Buckingham Palace to ready for the all important photo opportunity on the regal balcony, Sky News then reported that Harry had instead turned down the invitation to make his way back to Montecito to spend the last of a Saturday evening with his firstborn, Prince Archie, who turns four years old today. 

Queue the dog whistling aimed at Harry, described by myself on Twitter as a “bad guy wrestler,” with corners of the media once again clamouring at the opportunity to fire shots of the Duke of Sussex. “How dare he snub his family,” “he must be under Meghan’s thumb” and even one GB News presenter taking issue that apparently Harry arrived by private plane and he’s a hypocrite for doing so given his conversation efforts.

But here is the thing - it’s all speculative. Reports sometimes are nothing more than hearsay, and when everyone thought Harry turned up at an airfield in Farnborough, it transpired that the Duke instead arrived into the UK in the late hours of Friday evening by a commercial airliner. Not, as many insisted, from a private airfield in Van Nuys to Farnborough; though in fairness, a return flight chartered and ready to go isn’t outside the realms of possibility.

Those “reports” that Harry had been extended an invitation only to turn it down can be considered a slight against the Royal family, perhaps another escalation of the feud between Prince William and “the firm.” But aside from the mass exposure Harry and Meghan have had after leaving Royal life and despite their insistence at privacy and then doing anything but help themselves being in the spotlight, there is one key quote from Harry that those who are upset he snubbed the invitation should remember. 

“Being a dad is amazing. It's like having a new best friend. You just want to share everything with them and you want to protect them from everything.” We’ve discussed previously how fervent Harry wants to be as a father to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet and try to give them as normal a life as possible despite their birth right. A similar trait that his mother, Lady Diana, extolled throughout the sibling growing up in the British spotlight. 

Where was the invite before the morning after he arrived in London for the King’s Coronation - an event that perhaps makes him uncertain given he is watching an event he may never be involved in himself (he is, after all, the Spare). There was already much discussion that Harry was set to undertake a whirlwind visit for the affair and that he would gut out jet lag and travel across multiple time zones in order to be with Prince Archie on his fourth birthday. 

Harry turned the invite down not merely because he has an issue with the Royal family. Harry turned the invite down because he was being a father first and foremost. It’s been no secret either how important being a father is to him, going as far as to ensure that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet received those royal titles that allows them to, in the future, give patronage to some worthwhile causes their generation may be invested in.

To call out Harry for snubbing his family is a paradox; if he was to attend Buckingham Palace, he would be neglecting his wife and children. If he didn’t attend, he would be snubbing his family in one of their most important engagements throughout the history of the monarch. Harry just couldn’t win - but Harry could be one thing above all else; a father.