Queen Elizabeth II Was ‘Too Harsh’ on Prince Harry in Decision to Ban Him From Royal Duties, Expert Says

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Harry had always had a good relationship. But when it came to running the monarchy, the queen took her royal duties seriously — and expected that everyone else would, too. While the queen was always supportive of Harry’s relationship with Meghan, there were rumors that it was her decision to tell the Sussexes that they could not be part-time royals.

Of course, it led to Harry and Meghan stepping back entirely from their royal roles. The couple moved to California and have only returned on a handful of occasions since their departure. But one royal expert says the queen’s decision to ban Harry and Meghan from royal duties was “too harsh.”

Royal expert claims Queen Elizabeth II’s handling of royal duties was ‘too harsh’

From the moment Harry and Meghan wed, they were subject to criticism from the British public and the press. The two eventually decided they’d had enough of the constant negativity, and in their initial Instagram announcement in 2020, they said they were hoping to carve out a new role for themselves that allowed them to step back from being full-time royals. Apparently, though, that didn’t go over too well with the family, and the two eventually left the royal family altogether.

Now, royal expert Jennie Bond says the queen’s handling of the royal duties was “too harsh” and that there could have been a compromise. “I’ve always held the view that the late Queen and the Palace were quite harsh when they put down this red line ‘you can’t be half-in, half-out,’” Bond said in an interview with Times Radio, via Express. “I think in a modern, evolving monarchy, perhaps a way could have been found to incorporate what they wanted which was, we thought, some privacy at least, to not always being on show.”

The comments come on the heels of both King Charles and Kate Middleton taking time off of their royal duties for medical reasons. Charles already had a slimmed-down monarchy, and it’s become even slimmer. While both Charles and Kate are taking some much-needed time off, perhaps Harry and Meghan could have taken on some extra duties had they been given the chance so many years ago.

It’s unclear how things will play out between Prince Harry and the royal family

Harry and Meghan’s relationship with the royals has remained rocky for years. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have hardly returned to the United Kingdom, with Meghan not having been there since Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in 2022. Harry recently made comments in an interview that he loves his family and has been “grateful” for the ability to visit his father, but his words didn’t totally clear up how much time he plans to spend with Charles — and he made no mention of returning to royal duties.

Is there a chance the royals could reconcile? According to Harry, yes, but we have yet to see any evidence other than his quick 24-hour trip to meet with his father. People are keeping a close eye on whether Harry and his brother, Prince William, ever decide to have a meeting; that could tell us more than we know.