London (CNN) — You don’t have a job for six years, then two come along at once…
Despite the suggestion in many headlines, Harry has had a job before — 10 years in the military. He has also led campaigns on mental health awareness and gone into battle with the British tabloid press, which he accuses of spreading smears and lies.
The two organizations for which Harry now works operate across those areas of his expertise. BetterUp provides “mental fitness” coaching to major international brands, including CNN’s parent company, WarnerMedia. Aspen is spearheading a response to what it sees as an “information crisis” that is undermining “confidence in our democratic institutions.”
Supporters of the Sussexes say they should be applauded for striving to make their own way, without public funding, and harnessing their own life experience. The couple certainly aren’t crossing any lines with Buckingham Palace, having reached a comprehensive agreement with the Queen to do as they wish in their quest to be financially independent.
In the sit-down interview with Oprah Winfrey, Harry and Meghan revealed all about their life in the royal family. Now they need to prove their value as people in their own right. They have new — commercial — contracts to honor, and their new bosses will want return on their substantial investments. Can the Sussexes deliver? The couple’s true test starts now.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Charles visits the land of his grandfather
Bomb squad called to the Queen’s house
Don’t worry — she wasn’t there. A bomb disposal team was scrambled to the Palace of Holyroodhouse — the monarch’s official residence in Edinburgh, Scotland — following a report of a “suspicious item” on Tuesday. Police Scotland said the object was examined by a bomb disposal team and “made safe.” Authorities later arrested a 39-year-old man in connection with the incident. The Queen was not in Scotland at the time but at Windsor, about an hour outside London, where she’s been living with Prince Philip during the pandemic.
Royals consider appointing diversity czar
Harry pens emotional message about his mom’s death
Inconsistencies in Sussexes’ interview
Whether you are “Team Sussex” or not, it’s hard to argue against the importance of the issues of suicide and racism raised by the Oprah interview. But critics are pointing to some discrepancies in the tell-all interview. Meghan’s claim of a private backyard wedding has raised eyebrows. British newspaper The Sun got a copy of the marriage license, showing the legally binding wedding was the one at the church. A spokesman for the couple then clarified that “the couple exchanged personal vows a few days before their official/legal wedding on May 19.” The couple are also known for their distrust of tabloid media, and they voiced their frustration that the palace tries to appease certain titles with “holiday parties at the palace.” That comment left some tabloid reporters baffled, including Russell Myers, The Daily Mirror’s royal editor, who tweeted: “now I am wondering why I never got a ticket.” There have been media drinks in the past but they were official receptions and were not just for the tabloids.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Some happy news for the British monarch — Queen Elizabeth has become a great-grandma for the 10th time.
In an episode of his “The Good, The Bad and The Rugby” podcast on Wednesday, Tindall said their new son “arrived very quickly,” and he joked that he barely had time to run “to the gym, get a mat, get into the bathroom, get the mat on the floor, towels down, brace, brace, brace.”
Mike and Zara Tindall are already parents to Mia Grace, 7, and Lena Elizabeth, 2.
The baby weighed 8 lbs 4 oz at birth, a spokesperson for the couple told CNN. The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are “delighted” at the news and look forward to meeting the newest addition to the family when “circumstances allow,” a Buckingham Palace spokesperson told CNN.
Lucas is the second royal baby to arrive in recent months.
FROM THE ROYAL VAULT
Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, has been named as the Lord High Commissioner to the 2021 General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. In the role, William will represent the Queen at the online event in May.
William, who holds the title of the Earl of Strathearn in Scotland, was supposed to participate in the General Assembly last year but it was canceled and streamed online in light of the pandemic. He is expected to make the opening and closing addresses for the event and report developments back to the Queen throughout the week.
The role of Lord High Commissioner is “to maintain the relationship between the State and the Church” and dates back to the 16th century, according to the royal family website.
Each year, the Queen appoints the role on the advice of the prime minister. She attended herself in 1969 and 2002. But other members of the royal family have also participated in years gone by, including all four of her children.
A WORD FROM THE ROYALS
Other senior royals observed the moment, too. The Queen sent flowers to the hospital where Prince Philip underwent a heart operation last month and praised frontline workers for “the immeasurable service of those who have supported us all over the last year.” Meanwhile, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge held a moment of silence while visiting a Covid-19 vaccination center set up at Westminster Abbey in London.