Frustrated insiders have dubbed Prince Harry “Hijack Harry” amid new claims that he and Meghan Markle are deliberately timing their public appearances and announcements to cover up their major royal engagements.
The nickname appeared after the couple posted photos of their wedding anniversary while King Charles and Queen Camilla were on a high-profile three-day visit to Northern Ireland.According to royal sources, the timing reignited long-standing frustrations within palace circles, with aides claiming that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were running what they described as “kidnapping diaries” designed to compete with official royal events.
How did the nickname “Hijack Harry” come about?
“Harry’s new nickname among some staff is ‘Hijack Harry’ because there is a growing sense that every major royal event suddenly accompanied by a Sussexes announcement, photo release or intervention is seen as a pathetic attempt to put the spotlight back on them,” a palace insider told RadarOnline.com.The source added: “People who work around King Charles feel it is becoming increasingly predictable and deliberate. Every time Charles or William tries to focus attention on public duties, something Californian emerges that pulls the headlines towards Harry and Meghan.”A separate royal source said: “There is enormous frustration in some palace circles because this pattern keeps repeating itself.
Every time there is a big royal engagement involving the King or Queen, something of Harry and Meghan emerges that attracts media attention. “This is increasingly seen by those within the royal family as a deliberate and disgusting attempt to hijack Charles’ activities.”Staff were said to be particularly upset by photos of the couple’s eighth wedding anniversary which coincided with Charles and Camilla’s tour of Northern Ireland.
One source said: “Staff working around the monarch feel that royal visits should be about public engagements themselves, not trying to compete with headlines from California.”
A pattern of interventions in Sussex
Royal insiders also pointed to what they described as a broader pattern of interventions in the Sussexes coinciding with major royal appearances. Harry’s latest article discussing a “divided Britain” appeared while Catherine, Princess of Wales, 44, was making a widely publicized visit to Italy.
Earlier this year, Harry also traveled to Ukraine on the eve of Charles’ state visit to the US, drawing comparisons to the humanitarian legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales.An insider said: “There are advisers around the king who truly believe that Harry is trying to rebuild his importance in Britain through carefully orchestrated interventions linked to emotional reasons.” “The feeling among critics is that each speech, article or appearance has become part of a broader campaign to rehabilitate Harry’s image, but stands in stark contrast to the overall efforts of the rest of the royal family.”
What do those close to Prince Harry say?
Despite the criticism, sources close to Harry insist he remains sincerely committed to issues including veterans care, mental health awareness, environmental issues and support for Ukraine. One ally offered a more sympathetic reading of the situation. “At their core, Harry and King Charles are actually very similar personalities. They are both passionate, very passionate about issues, and willing to speak out on issues they believe are important, even if they attract criticism.
“The insider added: “There is a belief among people close to the family that Harry has inherited much of his father’s instinct for activism and public advocacy.”Tensions remain unresolved ahead of Harry’s expected return to Britain later this year for preparations linked to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, while his legal dispute with the UK Home Office over police protection of himself, Markle and their children Archie, seven, and Lilibet, four, continues.