Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under fire for planning to fly to the Netherlands for the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games this weekend, just a few weeks after they refused to fly to the UK for Prince Philip’s memorial on March 29th due to ongoing disagreements about the level of security they would – or more accurately, would not – have. Their upcoming Holland trip for the Invictus Games, which will take place between April 16th and April 22nd – will be the first time the couple have been together in Europe since stepping down as senior royals – dubbed Megxit – over two years ago.
Critics are therefore slamming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for their alleged hypocrisy, as Prince Harry claimed that he felt unsafe leaving his home in Montecito, California and traveling to the UK without being granted extra security measures, yet appears to be comfortable with flying to Holland, where he doesn’t appear to be given the same level of security he currently has in the US.
Dutch royal biographer Moniek Bloks has, however, said that he thinks Prince Harry will ask King Willem-Alexander – who is The Queen's distant cousin – to provide him with some levels of armed security. Not only that, but Bloks said that, "Since members of the Dutch royal family will be attending both the opening and closing ceremony, they might be able to 'hitch a ride' with them on those days." Could this be the only reason the Duke and Duchess feel safe and comfortable to fly to Holland?
Other royal experts have reportedly insisted that Harry and Meghan's upcoming Holland trip is a huge "snub" to The Queen, given their refusal to attend Prince Philip's memorial a few weeks prior. They have also claimed it is "unnecessary" for Meghan to be at the Invictus Games, adding that they believe she only wants to be there because she and Harry will be filmed for their upcoming Netflix special, and also because she "wouldn't want to miss out on the publicity." Ouch!
"I think it's truly shocking," royal expert Angela Levin told The Sun Online. "I think the royal family are deeply hurt, but that's precisely what they must want, otherwise, they wouldn't act like that. We saw The Queen, you can't help but feel desperately sorry for her, she would have loved to have Harry there for the day," she continued, in reference to Harry missing Prince Philip's memorial.
"I just think it's unbelievable," Levin added. "Meghan is going because they're doing the next Netflix documentary. They're going with cameras, and she wouldn't want to miss out on the publicity. It's such a snub, you cannot believe that Harry is the same person as he was in 2018 when I met him. It looks as if he's been somewhat brainwashed to hate his family."
While royal experts are claiming that Harry and Meghan have snubbed The Queen, it seems like the snubbing has gone both ways, as The Daily Mail is reporting that King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máximam have not offered to host Harry and Meghan (the Dutch royal family do traditionally host foreign royals, but this isn’t the case for Harry and Meghan's latest trip) and they will instead be staying at a hotel in The Hague.
However, despite the alleged snub from the Dutch royal family, Harry and Meghan have been reassured that their security is of top importance. "Harry and Meghan have received absolute top assurances that there is no credible threat to their safety. This is the view of the Dutch authorities and other agencies across the continent," a source told The Mirror. "In any case, as they are attending a high profile event in the Netherlands, both the Duke and Duchess have been classed as VVIPs for the duration of their stay and overall responsibility for their safety at all times while in the Netherlands will be with the Dutch authorities."
