Prince Harry’s visit to the United Kingdom has sparked sharp debate among royal commentators, with some arguing his fractured relationship with the monarchy remains a problem he “can’t unsell.”
The criticism followed a recent interaction Harry had with 17-year-old Declan Bitmead’s brother, where he spoke about the challenges of growing up with siblings. The Duke of Sussex joked about whether he had “driven him mad” by being in the same school.
But for many observers, Harry’s presence has reignited old questions about the fallout from his departure from royal life. Editor Tom Skyes of The Daily Beast penned an analysis that struck a particularly critical tone. “His family feud sold spectacularly well for him. Now he can’t unsell it,” Skyes wrote. “And here lies Harry’s curse.”
Skyes argued that Harry’s past projects—including his memoir and Netflix series—profited from exposing the strains within the royal family. But that decision, he said, has created a lasting public appetite for drama rather than the philanthropy Harry now wants to highlight.
“Having written books and produced films that monetized the conflict, he now finds himself unable to turn the interest off, no matter how much he might want his philanthropy—such as donating more than a million dollars from his own pocket to youth services on Tuesday—to be the story,” Skyes continued.
The editor noted that while Harry’s seven-figure donation was praised by some, others dismissed it as hypocritical. Critics pointed out that the money came from the same deals that fueled his family rift.
Skyes went further, calling Harry’s current role a “strange flashback” to the 2020 Sandringham Summit, when Harry and Meghan proposed a half-in, half-out arrangement that Queen Elizabeth ultimately rejected.
“In the eyes of the expert, despite it all, he is living off commercial deals while seeking to resume the charitable patronage of a working royal. It is precisely the hybrid role Elizabeth forbade,” the article noted.
Before concluding, Skyes remarked that the media’s focus remains firmly on whether Harry will see his father, King Charles, during the trip. “The British media have shown up at Harry’s events, but they are truly only really interested in the question of whether Charles will meet him.
On paper, it looks likely: Harry remains his son, he is in London this week for cancer treatment, and reconciliation would cool an open wound and be good optics.” For now, Harry’s philanthropy remains overshadowed by his strained royal ties, as experts insist the public’s fascination with his family feud is not going away.