May 7, 2025 07:34 IST
First published on: May 7, 2025 at 07:34 IST
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There are several reasons — excuses, really — that can be used to justify the extended adolescence of 40-year-old Henry Charles Albert David of the House of Windsor. “Prince” Harry, perhaps, does not realise that “royalty” is a carefully constructed fiction, an excuse to be rich and unemployed through decades of political and social reform, common law ideas of equality and redistributive justice, and even the welfare state. And that family drama and personal grievances — even when they garner national and international attention — do not entitle you to benefits at the exchequer’s expense any more than the average soap opera or reality TV star. Especially when the prince chooses, as Harry did, to leave the family and what passes as their national responsibility.
The latest salvo in Harry’s feud with his father and the rest of the royal family came in an interview with the BBC after a British court ruled that he, Meghan Markle and their children were not entitled to the same level of security as the senior royals who hadn’t quit. The court had to tell Harry what most adults learn before age 40 — that “his sense of grievance” did not “translate into a legal argument”. Harry, petulantly, has questioned the motive behind the downgrade and said he cannot return to England because of security risks. He also said he would like to make up with his family, particularly his ailing and ageing father, King Charles. Cynics might say that the desire to make up with his family comes after many a failed Netflix special, and a career in California that hasn’t exactly taken off.
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The British Crown is part of a curious social contract: They get to keep their wealth and standing, and remain the symbolic sovereign. In return, they live in a gilded cage. Harry wanted to be free of his golden prison. Commendable, perhaps. But then, he can’t keep asking for the gold.