bitchy | Prince Harry: ‘We’re probably never going to get genuine accountability’

In Netflix’s Harry & Meghan, they talk about Prince Philip’s death, which happened in April 2021. At first, I didn’t get the significance of why they were showing footage from their Easter egg hunt in Montecito, then the series showed what was happening close to the same time – Philip’s health deteriorated and he passed away. Harry shares the public statement he made about his grandfather on-camera, and he spoke about Philip as a man and an icon. Harry related to Philip and feels like he got a lot of Philip’s personality, which is probably true – Harry is more like Philip and more like Diana/the Spencers. The Netflix series shows footage of Harry and Meghan at home, figuring out Harry’s travel plans back to the UK to attend Philip’s funeral. When Harry is asked what it was like being back in the UK for what was his first visit back since the Sussexit, he talked about how difficult it was to see his father and brother:

“It was hard, especially spending time having chats with my brother and my father who just were very much focussed on the same misinterpretation of the whole situation. So none of us really wanted to have to talk about it at my grandfather’s funeral, but we did.

“I’ve had to make peace with the fact that we’re probably never going to get genuine accountability or a genuine apology [from my family]. My wife and I, we’re moving on. We’re focused on what’s coming next.”

[From The Daily Mirror]

At the time – and for months after the funeral – we were told that Harry had a pleasant but stilted reunion with his family. We were also told that Kate was the lynchpin and that she was doing everything to ensure a brotherly reunion and she was the keen peacemaker, remember? And after all of that, Kate didn’t even get a mention. Harry blanked on the Keen Peacemaker!! Which is sort of a thread throughout the series, that Harry and Meghan treat Kate like she’s a non-entity, that she isn’t involved in any notable way in any of the family squabbles. I don’t know if they really believe that Kate isn’t involved or if they’re just being nice. As for Harry… I appreciate that he’s clear-eyed about the emotional limitations of father and brother. He would like accountability or an apology, but he knows he won’t get that so he’s moving on.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, WENN and Instar.