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POST-HOLIDAYBLUES
THESUSSEXESFLY
HOMETOASTORM
AFTERANIDYLLICBREAKINIBIZA THEDUKE
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F
resh from their six-day family holiday in
Ibiza, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex
have been hit by a new ‘PR storm’
which is said to have left Prince Harry
feeling ‘frustrated’ and ‘upset’. Just after
celebrating Meghan’s 38th birthday, the royal
couple flew by private jet from Farnborough
Airport in Hampshire to the White Isle with
their three-month-old son Archie. It was
reported that they travelled with their own
security personnel and that their jet was hired
at a cost of £20,000 from NetJets, known as
‘Uber for billionaires’, although it is not clear
who footed the bill.
According to royal commentator Omid
Scobie, it would have been the perfect
destination for California girl Meghan. ‘She
loves the sun and the beach. It’s always
been her happy place,’ he says. ‘They really
needed this holiday because it has been such
a relentlessly tiring and testing couple of
months. They never seem to get a week off
from some sort of tabloid attack. This would
have provided them with a chance to escape
and be alone,’ he adds.
Sure enough, their relaxed holiday vibes
were compromised last week the moment
the family of three arrived back at Frogmore
Cottage in Windsor.
The couple were fiercely criticised for
allegedly using a private jet for their trip
in the wake of Harry’s recent speech at the
climate summit Google Camp in Sicily and
his environmental concerns shared in the
current issue of Vogue, guest edited by
his wife. This followed controversial politician
Nigel Farage’s remarks about how Harry’s
popularity has ‘fallen off a cliff’ since
meeting Meghan.
In addition, Meghan was
targeted with bogus claims that
she used Keto Weight Loss diet
pills to lose weight after Archie’s
birth in May. The outrageous
online adverts even featured
false quotes from the duchess
advocating the medication,
which prompted a Buckingham
Palace source to rubbish the
adverts and hint at legal action.
‘The couple are facing a PR storm which is
totally alien to Harry, whose popularity used
to soar whenever he made the tabloid front
pages before meeting Meghan,’ says former
royal editor Duncan Larcombe. He also points
out that the negativity is partly xenophobic
due to Meghan’s American heritage, and
says: ‘Harry will be wondering what on earth
they can do to fix things.’
Referring to the diet pill scandal, Duncan
adds: ‘The duke takes criticism very
personally, especially criticism of Meghan.
He will not be happy. This will upset Harry.’
The couple are now back in the UK,
focusing on the upcoming
launch of their charitable
initiatives, Meghan’s High Street
clothing range in collaboration
with charity Smart Works and
their African royal tour in the
autumn. But despite their
dedication to work – one royal
source claimed they would have
been ‘checking the occasional
work email on holiday’ – it’s hard
p