Can Prince Harry Achieve a Royal Redemption Like Camilla Parker Bowles?
The royal family has had its share of members whose public reputations have left little to be desired . In recent history, Prince Andrew, Camilla Parker Bowles, and Prince Harry have faced public scrutiny for different reasons. However, as Andrew stays out of sight, and Camilla moves forward as queen consort and receives favorable public support, could Prince Harry, at some point, achieve a royal redemption?
Prince Harry achieved a royal distinction he shared with Camilla Parker Bowles
For years, Prince Harry was one of the most popular members of the royal family. However, his popularity declined after he left his senior royal role in 2020.
While the public’s fascination with Harry lingered, it wasn’t because they appeared to support this significant life change. It was just the opposite.
Harry found himself on the wrong end of public interest after he and Meghan spoke out against the royal family in several wide-ranging interviews. The public was also unhappy with how he aired the family’s dirty laundry in his autobiography Spare.
On the other hand, Camilla Parker Bowles became one of the most unpopular people on the planet when it was revealed that she carried on a long-term affair with then-Prince Charles while he was married to Princess Diana. This romantic relationship continued after he and Diana divorced and after her death.
Camilla was disliked for being the other woman for years, and it was only after being accepted by Queen Elizabeth that the public began to warm up to her. Years later, Camilla would be crowned Queen Consort and is now considered an asset to the House of Windsor.
Can Harry overcome his royal difficulties to recreate himself?
Prince Harry will likely have to receive grace from his father, King Charles, in order to be publicly accepted as a royal family member once again. However, at least from what has been reported, Charles has not yet given Harry the necessary time to repair their bond.
Harry said there were “barriers” between him and his father in Spare. “He’d been an older dad, and I’d always felt that this created problems, placed barriers between us,” Harry wrote. “In his middle years, he’d become more sedentary, more habitual.”
Harry continued, “He liked his routines. He wasn’t the kind of father who played endless rounds of tag or tossed a ball until long after dark.”
He also said Charles “cut him off financially” after he and Meghan Markle left the royal family behind. “I recognized the absurdity, a man in his mid-30s being financially cut off by his father. But Pa wasn’t merely my father; he was my boss, banker, comptroller, and keeper of the purse strings throughout my adult life.”
Therefore, to redeem himself in the eyes of the public, Harry must find favor in some way with Charles. Then, if Charles welcomes him back into the fold, likely so will the public. However, is Harry interested in returning to a royal role?
What is Prince Harry doing now?
On July 11, Prince Harry will be honored at the 2024 ESPY Awards. He will receive the Pat Tillman Award for Service to honor his work as the founder of the Invictus Games.
The Invictus Games is a Paralympic-style international multi-sport event for wounded, injured, and sick military personnel and veterans. It was founded in 2014.
Most recently, Harry skipped Trooping the Color, the king’s birthday parade, for the third year. He and Meghan Markle last attended when leaving their senior royal family roles in 2020.
Prince Harry lives with his wife, Meghan Markle, in Montecito, California. The couple are parents to two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
