The Predictable Duke and Duchess of Sussex

"Candid" pics timed for release during the Firm's commemorations for the Queen and transparent grievances leaked to the Press

Hello Dear Readers!

Journalists have confirmed that members of the Royal family paid their respects privately at QEII’s grave site yesterday morning. Of course one of the family members paying their “respects” just so happened to be snapped leaving the Chapel. That one member of the family was, to no surprise, Prince Harry. And Meghan Markle, who is never one to be left out, was also papped yesterday morning. Both photos were released within a half hour of each other.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have a playbook and they are sticking to it.

On the tail end of the anniversary of the Queen Elizabeth’s death, as I read this new, transparent briefing against his family to the Sussex’s paper and reporter of choice, all I could think was: What do these two people, who have done everything and more under the sun to signal how suffocating, impossible and spirit-breaking being in the Royal Family was, want? As usual, to understand the Sussexes, we need to back up and take a look at the playbook.

In my post a month ago, I discussed the briefing provided to The Telegraph by the Sussexes complaining that his family had not included them in any planned commemorations for the one year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s death.

At the time, after the Palace briefed back in response that nothing was planned, I said:

This is the Palace’s way of pushing back on the “snubbing” narrative currently being pushed by Sussexland. The first brief in the Sun could only have come from the Sussexes. They are once again doing the exact same thing they remonstrated his family for allegedly doing. It bears repeating: Their strategy and messaging is in disarray. And the Palace having to push back against this will only estrange them further. Harry and Meghan’s feelings of being left out isn’t what King Charles and Co should be worried about now heading into the anniversary of the death of a much-loved matriarch.

I posited nothing like a memorial or specific church service was being planned as far as we knew. But then, something intriguing happened: It was leaked the Prince and Princess of Wales would be attending a church service in Wales and undertaking engagements in the area on the anniversary of the late-Queen’s death, though this was not confirmed until earlier this week. And the day before yesterday, it was announced by Buckingham Palace that the King and Queen would not just be spending the day “quietly and privately” in reflection. They would be attending a church service in Balmoral with family.

What once looked like a day of quiet, private reflection turned into full blown royal engagements for both parties. [Read more about the engagements of yesterday in “How Members of the Royal Family Remembered Queen Elizabeth”.]

So what exactly happened here to cause the Sussex’s most recent briefing about the family? And what caused the about face with the Palace? In short...