When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved to America back in 2020, the British tabloid press speculated that the couple would cut ties with Harry’s family entirely.
That didn’t happen, of course, but even though the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have maintained closer ties to the royals than their critics expected, the same media outlets routinely blast Meghan for allegedly keeping her in-laws at arm’s length.
When Prince Philip passed away, for example, Harry and Meghan were criticized for their failure to attend his memorial service.
And when Queen Elizabeth II contracted Covid, the couple was again slammed for their alleged lack of response.
Of course, none of these critics had any suggestions with regard to how the Sussexes might have been more supportive to the Queen, who was in quarantine half a world away.
Similarly, the haters are suspiciously silent this week amid news that Harry and Meghan visited the Queen in London.
Yes, according to People magazine, Harry and Meghan recently stopped by Buckingham Palace for their first joint visit since they relocated to the US.
The couple was headed to the Netherlands for the Invictus Games, which are set to begin in the Hague on Saturday.
This year’s games were originally scheduled to take place in 2020 but had to be rescheduled due to the pandemic.
Harry helped launch the international sporting event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women back in 2014.
The games are one of many humanitarian projects to which Harry and Meghan have devoted countless hours.
Of course, these projects receive little attention from the UK media.
In the same vein, Harry and Meghan’s visit to London did not receive as much fanfare as one would expect, especially given how big a deal the British press made out of the couple’s absence over the course of the past two years.
Perhaps they’ve forgotten that we’re still in the midst of a global pandemic, which makes travel risky, and visits to at-risk elderly people even riskier.
It’s also worth remembering that Meghan was either pregnant or nursing during much of that time, and she may not have been up for a lengthy, international voyage.
Anyway, Harry has been back to England several times over the course of the past two years, but this is Meghan’s first visit to the UK since March of 2020, when she made her final appearances as a senior member of the royal family.
Much has been made of the fact that the Queen has not met Lilibet, Harry and Meghan’s 10-month-old daughter.
Critics remain concerned that that meeting will never take place, as Harry and Meghan’s children reportedly did not travel with them.
Onlookers say that the Queen appeared to be in good health and good spirits, despite her recent battle with Covid, which left her “very tired and exhausted.”
The Queen has reportedly canceled her Easter engagements out of an abundance of caution, but insiders say that at the age of 95, her recovery is nothing less than remarkable.
And we’re sure the visit from Harry and Meghan did much to boost her spirits.