Rest assured: Sunday night at 11pm (our time) everyone in the UK and farbeyond will be glued to the television. Then the interview that Prince Harryto the British channel ITV gave broadcast. An hour later, an interview on theAmerican channel follows CBSMonday morning (in the US) a third interviewfollows Good morning America on ABC.
We’ve been getting bits and pieces of that in the past few days ITVinterview,and it is clear that Harry is once again not shying away from a subject. Fromhis use of magic mushrooms and cocaine to his relationship with his brotherand father: certainly within the British royal family will be watched withextraordinary interest, and perhaps also some fear.
Danger to monarchy
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Because what Harry brings out could have “absolutely catastrophicconsequences” for the British royal family. Catherine Mayer, royalty expertand biographer of King Charles, said this weekend in an interview with TheObserver. “It is quite possible that all this fuss will be the beginning ofthe end of the monarchy. We must dare to talk about this honestly. There islittle trust in the government and the royal family and far-right politiciansare gaining popularity, so it is a very important moment. The royal family isan institution that stands for inequality through all these stories aboutracism, wealth and misogyny, so there is a lot at stake.”
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According to the author, the allegations made by Harry and his wife MeghanMarkle have the potential to undermine the foundations on which the royalfamily is built. “Unless the problems are addressed. This is easily dismissedas a celebrity story, but it is much more than that. It revolves around thestatus of an important state institution, with significant powers andsignificant taxpayer funding.”
Reconciliation
According to experts, what impact the whole fuss around Prince Harry’s memoirsand interviews will have on the royal house will also depend on how KingCharles handles it. The central question is: will things be okay between theking and his son?
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According to British newspaper sources The Telegraph that cannot be ruled out.They say it is King Charles’ wish to reconcile with his son, the Duke ofSussex. At the moment there is a stalemate, “and the challenge now will be notto let a mountain of resentment build up that they can’t get over”. “In manyways, the royal family is like any other family. And within families,reconciliations happen faster than outside. The fact that they are father andson will bring them together again.” The king would be convinced that it willcome to this, the sources still believe.
If it does not come to that, the same sources share Catherine Mayer’s feelingthat the consequences for the royal family will be enormous. “Reconciliationis the only way out of this mess,” it sounds. And the fact that Prince Harryalso indicated in a teaser of the interview that he sees a reconciliation,offers the British some hope.
Witness
Harry’s memoirs, Save titled, will not be in stores until Tuesday.Nevertheless, many details have already been leaked in recent days, partlybecause copies of the Spanish-language version have already been sold in Spainby mistake and also because parts of the book have already been eagerly leakedin the United Kingdom.
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About the fight between Harry and William, for example, when they just didn’tfight in Harry and Meghan’s home. About his frozen penis, the negativeattitude of family members towards Meghan and the Taliban fighters he killed.But also about William’s marriage, which Harry claims he wasn’t really hisbrother’s best man. He had to pretend, for the watching outside world, saysHarry. “I had to go along with the lie. But two of his friends were the realwitnesses.”
Diana
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In the ITVinterview will also tell Harry about the guilt that overcame himwhen he was barely allowed to show emotions after the death of his mother,Princess Diana. “I cried once at the funeral. There were 50,000 bouquets offlowers for our mother. And we stood there shaking hands, with the smile. Andthose hands were wet. We didn’t understand why, but it was from the tears theywiped away,” was seen in snippets that have already been shown.
It promises to be turbulent days, weeks and even months within the Britishroyal family. Starting with the interviews on Sunday and Monday, and a daylater there is already Harry’s book.