Prince Harry and Meghan Markle lack the popularity and public support which Prince William and Princess Kate benefit from, a royal commentator has said. US-based expert Kinsey Schofield said the Prince and Princess of Wales look “phenomenal” and appear to have brushed off any “havoc” Omid Scobie’s book Endgame might have wrought.
She told GB News: “I’m pleasantly surprised by the complete lack of credibility that book was given, especially here in the States.
“I think they have done a really good job over the last 12 months of staying above the fray, staying focused on what their goal is – and that’s to serve the people.
“They have very specific missions… Catherine, it’s the early years. William, it’s homelessness and it’s climate. They’ve done a really good job of making sure the world knows what their mission is.
“We see it reflected in their lifestyle. We see it reflected in their activities. It’s easier for us to digest and we’re cheering them on as they do that… That’s truly what Harry and Meghan lack.”
Ms Schofield made the remarks in a discussion about royal tours, following the recent announcement Princess Anne and her husband, Vice Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence, will embark on the the first royal overseas trip of 2024.
Prince William and Princess Kate’s last joint overseas trip was to Boston in the United States, where the prince met US President Joe Biden as part of the couple’s itinerary.
Prior to that trip, the Waleses travelled together to the Caribbean for the Platinum Jubilee Tour on behalf of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
That trip was marred by protests, with William and Kate met by protesters in Belize, told by Jamaica’s prime minister that the island country would be “moving on” and calls for an apology for slavery.
Ms Schofield, recalling the controversy surrounding that trip, said: “A lot of the backlash we saw around that time was also related to Harry and Meghan’s media pursuits.
“Harry and Meghan villainised the Royal Family, so you might be a little more apt to go grab a poster board and go protest these people because you’re seeing things in the news.”
Among a series of bombshell claims, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex told US talkshow host Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 that there had been “conversations” about then unborn-Prince Archie’s skin colour. The couple have since rowed back on that claim, though Scobie’s book revived the allegation, with two members of the Firm accused of being “royal racists” identified in a Dutch translation of the book. Express.co.uk has chosen not to name the two alleged “royal racists”.
The initial controversy led to some criticism of the Windsors, with Prince William insisting the Royal Family was not racist during a visit to a school in east London.
Ms Schofield compared responses to the Windsors to a rollercoaster, adding that people would be gentler today. She said: “Do William and Catherine need to put themselves out there like that? You know, I think it’s the King’s time to shine.
“The only reason we’d see William and Catherine put themselves out there like that is if he needs back up.”
