Prince Harry recently hinted in an interview that he was hopeful about returning to England with his wife, Meghan Markle, and their two children, Archie and Lilibet Diana.
Prince Harry claimed that he would like to attend Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee, which will take place in June.
The Duke of Sussex said while appearing on the TODAY Show: “I don’t know yet. There’s lots of things, security issues, and everything else. So this is what I’m trying to do, trying to make it possible that, you know, I can get my kids to meet her.”
Those were the words uttered by the prince in late April while in Holland for the Invictus.
Prince Harry and Markle have since returned to California, and it seems that they have made a decision that will not please Queen Elizabeth, who is said to be desperate to meet and bond with her great-grandchildren.
This week, a series of official pictures have been published confirming that Prince Harry has joined the Santa Barbara Polo Club.
Prince Harry and his close friend, world-famous polo player Ignacio “Nacho” Figueras Bermejo, and several others have been competing in a Californian polo tournament, and they have been winning.
Photos showed Prince Harry and his teammates celebrating their latest victory, with Meghan Markle taking a front-row seat to cheer him on.
It has been revealed that Prince Harry has signed up along with friends to compete in an upcoming tournament that will take place at the same time as Queen Elizabeth’s majority of Jubilee activities.
It seems that Prince Harry, Markle, and their children will not be able to join his family on Buckingham Palace’s balcony for the iconic photo.
The tournament will run from June 3 to June 19. Prince Harry’s friend and royal author, Omid Scoobie, has revealed that he has committed to taking part in the entire Cheval Athletics USPA Intra-Circuit tournament.
Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee celebrations have been scheduled around a four-day bank holiday weekend from June 2 to June 5.
The 37-year-old prince and Markle’s decisions to miss multiple royal events have an expert saying that they are hurting their bankable brand.
Pauline Maclaran, a professor of Marketing and Consumer Research, said the duo was losing on their royal magic and added: “Prince Harry and Meghan Markle need to really top up their associations with royalty. I think they need to really top up their associations with royalty. Because without their royal connections, they really are nobodies in the US, which is where they’re trying to establish themselves.”
Maclaran added: “I do think their unique selling point, to put it in marketing speak, is that they have the sort of humanitarian aim and, of course, that high profile. But the high profile is really because of their titles and their associations with British royalty.”
The expert concluded: “They’re developing a kind of rival brand, or court, or however you like to describe it. But I do think the longer they stay away, they lose that royal magic.”
Time will tell if Prince Harry is able to make some changes to his schedule for his grandmother.
