Prince Harry and Meghan Markle send a ‘far from friendly’ message to Kate Middleton as they steal her spotlight with new video

The battle for the royal spotlight continues, with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle releasing a video montage showcasing the accomplishments of their Archwell Foundation on the same day the Prince and Princess of Wales met with the Amir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, and his wife, Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani, alongside King Charles III.

Speaking to the Express UK, veteran royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams slammed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for the timing of the video. “Harry and Meghan have never subscribed to the unwritten rule that, when in the Royal Family, you should not share the spotlight when it should be on other royals,” he said. “It only makes sense that if a royal is involved with a big event, they should not face competition.”

“Media coverage is obviously pivotal to whatever trips, charitable events, and anniversaries members of the Royal Family are involved in. This simply reflects today’s world,” Fitzwilliams continued. Whether you’re team Sussex or team Wales, Harry and Meghan have made a habit of doing something newsworthy on days that coincide with official royal events. It’s happened too many times to be written off as a coincidence.

But what gives their latest stunt an extra sting is the fact that the Princess of Wales is only able to muster up the energy to attend a few select events as she is still recovering from cancer. These include the Trooping the Color, the Wimbledon Men’s Finals, a visit to Southport in the aftermath of the terror attack, two Remembrance Day events, and the greeting of the Amir of Qatar and his wife when they arrived for their state visit to the UK.

Fitzwilliams chided Harry and Meghan for the decision. “This was surely not a day to release material which would compete for coverage in a world where interest in royal matters is often obsessive,” he told the publication. “The Sussexes know perfectly well that there is intense media interest in everything they do. However, it is quite extraordinary that they chose yesterday to make news and release this video together with the Archewell Foundation’s accounts.” 

“They are, after all, still members of the Royal Family, even though they caused the rift in it,” the royal expert added. “At present, given that the King and Catherine are recovering from cancer, they cannot be critical. However, the timing of today’s release sends a message that is far from friendly.” The move comes as the relationship between the Princes and their wives remains frosty as best. While they may say the right things about each other in public, egos and emotional wounds need time to heal.

While Harry and Meghan busy themselves with events in the US, the Princess of Wales has sent an emotional Christmas message ahead of her annual carol concert on Dec. 6. In a message via the BBC, she emphasized the importance of the Christmas story, which is about “giving and receiving empathy” and showing “how much we need each other in spite of our differences” because “love is the light that can shine bright, even in our darkest times.”