The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spent almost 50 days back in the UK, yet their return already feels far longer than that.
Perhaps some expected them to maintain a discreet, respectful profile for the sake of the King and the country. That expectation, however, has not been borne out.
The latest chapter of their story has instead been marked by upheaval. Their decision to uproot their family and move from California to the Cotswolds appeared, from the outset, sudden and difficult to follow.
Speaking to GQ magazine this week, Prince Harry explained the move in characteristically abstract terms: ‘For us, when certain stars align, and it’s clear that this should or probably will end up being the case, then we lean into that.’ It was an explanation for relocating his family across continents on what appeared to be a decision shared with very few people, apparently including his father.
The language sounded less like a carefully considered explanation and more like an intensely personal entry from a diary—an attempt to describe major life choices through instinct and emotion rather than practical detail.
So far, the couple have visited a pub, Harry was booed at a rugby match, their children changed schools and Meghan launched a chocolate range priced at £5. They also travelled to Nottingham for a highly publicised charity engagement that allowed them to maintain a visible connection with royal life.
At a Nottingham foodbank, Meghan appeared eager to demonstrate her concern as she helped pack tins of food into bags.
She asked questions and took an active role in the task, creating an image of hands-on compassion. Yet the engagement also risked appearing overly staged: questions about the best way to pack groceries can sound conspicuous when the work itself is straightforward and familiar to the volunteers carrying it out.
‘For us, when certain stars align, and it’s clear that this should or probably will end up being the case, then we lean into that,’ Prince Harry told GQ magazine this week
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been back in the UK for almost 50 days, but their return already feels considerably longer, writes Jan Moir
Elsewhere, Harry delivered an online masterclass about grief, including a section titled ‘Turn Pain Into Purpose’. He has spoken about bereavement throughout much of his adult life, and references to his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, are becoming more frequent as the 30th anniversary of her death approaches.
There is no question that losing his mother at the age of 12 was a profound tragedy and an experience that shaped his life.
At the same time, acknowledging the depth of that pain does not mean denying that people can survive bereavement. For many, the difficult task is to continue living while carrying the loss as best they can.
‘I’ve done different forms of therapy and I put in the work,’ Harry said this week. That commitment is positive, although the remark fits neatly into the language of celebrity self-help, where personal hardship is often presented as a public lesson.
For me, the most revealing moment so far was Harry’s irritable interview with GQ. It offered an insight into his position, though perhaps not in the way he intended.
Harry said he wanted to reconcile with his family because life is too short. He then appeared to direct blame towards particular relatives before later insisting that he had not meant to do so, leaving readers to interpret the shifting message for themselves.
If Harry struggles to express his meaning clearly in interviews, he should consider whether those appearances are helping. Too often, a statement is followed by an apology, a rebuttal or a carefully worded clarification.
He presented himself as the hurt party seeking peace with his family. Yet that appeal has not been matched by a similar public focus on reconciliation with his father-in-law, Thomas Markle.
Harry said he wanted reconciliation with his family, including his brother William, because life is too short
That contrast is worth remembering the next time Harry and Meghan are seen embracing strangers and presenting themselves as champions of charitable causes.
Harry also talked about his fight with the British Press and how he wants to protect journalists. This came as a shock to many of my colleagues, whom he falsely accused of gross misconduct in his recent court case against this newspaper. He and his co-defendants comprehensively lost and now face legal bills in the millions.
But instead of being embarrassed or ashamed or even apologising, Harry is incorrigible, deluded and obsessed.
He ran away from England, he is a loser in court and had few successes in America.
One of the main reasons he has returned is because – like a salmon swimming upstream to spawn – he has a need, an elitist’s desire to have his children educated at the same kind of exclusive, expensive establishments with selective admission policies which he himself attended. He may claim to hate tradition and the Establishment but, at heart, he’s just another posh drone.
Meghan, with her sprinkles and faux bonhomie, is hard enough to bear but Prince Harry is far worse. He has notions.
What Re-Megxit has proved beyond doubt is that he sees himself as a hero who is both righteous and wronged, as both crusader and victim, as a man who is above reproach and beneath the dignity of accountability.
Now I understand why Prince William always looks so haunted, how the King keeps a careful distance, why courtiers pull down the portcullis at the mention of his name.
For Harry is a one-man riot, a looter trying to smash and grab his way back into The Firm, convinced of the imperative and his self-appointed role as moral custodian and hero.
Peacemaker, Prince, pest, the great pretender.
He is just never going to stop until he gets his way.
Girls need Curie & Co as role models
Marie Curie was the first person – not just the first woman – to win two Nobel Prizes. In two different branches of science. She discovered radium and coined the word ‘radioactivity’.
Her research and work were world renowned. When she was once asked how it felt to marry a genius, she replied: ‘Go and ask my husband.’
Marie Curie was the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, yet she does not get a mention on the current GCSE science curriculum
Girls should be learning about her in science lessons – and be inspired by her example. Instead she doesn’t even get a mention on the current GCSE science curriculum – and neither does Lise Meitner, who was involved in the discovery of nuclear fission. However, 85 men do feature. Of course they do.
A report from Cambridge academics has found that girls could be put off taking science and maths A-levels because of the dearth of women and females on the syllabus.
It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to work that out. Disgraceful.
Things aren’t so bad after all thanks to M&S Kathryn
Kathryn Turner is the director of product development for Marks & Spencer’s food departments. She has become a huge success online, going viral on TikTok and Instagram with more than half a million followers who enjoy her videos featuring new and improved items from the M&S food range.
I say unlikely – but her success is no surprise to those of us who are devotees of her brisk and oddly fascinating content. ‘I want to talk to you about our pasta sauces,’ Kathryn will begin, and I am gripped.
‘Our chocolate is only ever made with cocoa butter and our Belgian range has had a massive glow up,’ is the kind of thing she will say. ‘You’ve probably noticed we’ve gone a little bit wild on grapes this year,’ she says, as the camera follows her down the M&S fruit aisle and we all nod along in happy contentment.
What is the secret of Kathryn’s success? She is a natural – who is so natural. And that is so unusual. It is delightful to watch someone nonweldable, fresh, businesslike, informative – but most importantly, someone who is not trying to be a star. Kathryn is always in her M&S barrel trousers with her lanyard stuffed in her pocket and her specs on her nose.
Kathryn Turner, director of product development for M&S’s food departments, has gone viral on TikTok
She is as enthusiastic about her products as she is about her job. I like her sensible jerseys, her crisp blouses, her barely brushed hair. She embodies something decent and steady about the brand and watching her makes one think, maybe things are not so bad.
‘Have you noticed we’ve started selling most of our beans in jars?’ she asked recently.
I hadn’t but felt oddly comforted by this news. Thank you, Kathryn!
Sunday Rose says it is not fair she has been labelled a ‘nepo baby’, just because she is the daughter of singer Keith Urban and actress Nicole Kidman. Yes, she became a model at 16 and made her Met Gala debut in May wearing Dior, but come on. Give a girl a break. Just like mummy and daddy did.
‘I’m very aware that I’m given opportunities that not everyone can have and I’m truly grateful to be able to take advantage of them,’ Sunday Rose said.
‘So, when I’m at work, I make sure to always give my best, never come to work with a negative attitude, no matter how tired or jet-lagged I may be and treat everyone with respect.’
No bad attitudes! She treats everyone with respect!
I’d say this 18-year-old is going to go far – if she hadn’t already got there.
Dua and Cal… two cute
Pop star Dua Lipa and actor Callum Turner are just so damn glam. I love their look! They walk out for dinner and it looks like a scene from a 1950s Italian film.
Dua Lipa, who has a demanding career as a huge pop star, married Callum Turner this summer
They attend the opera in New York and their very appearance is operatic in itself. The couple married this summer and to manage their demanding global careers they have a golden two-day rule – they are never apart for more than 48 hours.
Charming and romantic – but it won’t last.
When you get to my age you can never be together for more than 48 hours! Make the most of it, kids.