Is Harry's Royal Exit A Death Knell For The Firm?
Hands up everyone who thought we would hear the words “Prince Harry” and “Westjet” in the same sentence?
But the twain was met this week, with the sorta’-prince winging his way on Westjet to his new home in Victoria after a highly unsuccessful UK stay during which he seems to have antagonized just about everyone who ever cared for him in his days as a Royal.
He’s coming home with a nearly empty kit bag, having been told that, if he wants to be the freelance Prince, he’s not welcome to his Royal titles, palaces, incomes, privileges and other fussy perks of the job. In short, Meghan’s bright idea about a new monarchy went over like the latest Cats movie.
Perhaps the only thing keeping Harry from permanent exile— à la Duke of Windsor—is the Queen leaving the door open for re-integration into the clan. She knows that Harry represents the best bet for the Firm’s ongoing employment. Translation: Dump the actress, come home from those frightful Canadian winters and you’ll still have a posh post waiting.
More immediate is the question of who will pay for Harry’s security in Canada while he and Meghan act like online influencers, not line-of-succession affluence. And could the cost of protecting him be the first fallen brick in Canada’s decision to remain Royal?
The appetite for Canadian taxpayers footing the bill for bodyguards to protect the sixth-in-line to the British crown is nearly zero. Besides, in Justin Trudeau, Canada already has a privileged heir sucking up air miles and public funds. The GTA’s favourite son is not going to risk his sinecure on a big bill for Harry. & Meghan’s security.
Besides they’ll do just fine even if the Queen is cutting the pursestrings. Meghan, in particular, understands that more billions can be made from notoriety than from faith, hope and charity. Bad boys/ girls rule. Take any example. Cardi B. Odell Beckham. Taylor Swift. The money’s in the clicks, not clicking the heels. They will ride the Defrocked Royals train to riches.
As long as that works, the Queen will be losing her bet on her favourite grandson. And the monarchy loses its most popular figure.
The issue becomes, what happens in Canada when Elizabeth passes away? As we wondered in this column from April 2017 http://www.notthepublicbroadcaster.com/the-usual-suspects/2017/4/19/the-man-who-would-be-king-excites-few-in-canada there is little enthusiasm for Charles as King of Canada.
“There is no doubt that, under law, Charles is next in line, the rightful successor to his mother. In previous centuries, this secure a transfer of power was an essential element of national security. For the British, anything but the proper succession would be a constitutional crisis no prime minister wants to engage. Who needs that in Westminster as Brexit unwinds?
But it would not be an exaggeration to say that many in the realm want Charles to take a powder in favour of his son, Prince William. The reasons are, in order, 1) No one likes Charles 2) Everyone likes William. 3) No one likes Charles.
Okay, you might also make the point that William would guarantee a long reign, stability and a good-looking dude to parade around for the millenials. (Think of the casting opportunities in The Crown!) Besides, no one likes Charles. In this, he has only himself to blame. Rejecting tradition, Charles has been a politicized Prince, adopting positions on a range of issues. To wit, his embrace of the global-warming hype has been an embarrassment to the Royal family— or it should be.
In one particular gust of enthusiasm, the kilted one warned in 2009 that the earth had “100 months” to avoid a climate catastrophe. When that went over worse than cold haggis, he extended his dire warning to 35 years to save the earth, i.e.. when he has already joined the choir invisible.
He’s now sniping at U.S. president Donald Trump, whose climate vision appears sane next to Charles’ overheated apocalypse. (How often can we say that Trump appears rational on a policy?) Trading barbs with Donald Trump is hardly a sign of the royal jelly.
Charles has also railed against modernization and energy policies that threaten his pristine seventeenth century vision of life. This is a fine position when you can retreat to Balmoral for a ramble or a little trout fishing in the royal brook. For those who don’t have six palaces in the portfolio taking the Luddite line is more problematic.
The British will have all these issues to deal with when Queen Elizabeth shuffles off her mortal coil. The question is, what should Canadians do? How will Charles as King play in the former Dominion?”
It says here that Canadians may quickly lose their passion for a Crown that does not include Harry’s generation but does have his father Charles bloviating on climate and other woke preoccupations. For many it might be the perfect time to consider the republican route and a new future for a more independent Canada.
And to finalize the transfer of authority to King Justin the First.
Bruce Dowbiggin @dowbboy is the publisher of Not The Public Broadcaster. He’s also a regular contributor to Sirius XM Canada Talks Ch. 167. A two-time winner of the Gemini Award as Canada's top television sports broadcaster, he is also a best-selling author whose new book Cap In Hand: How Salary Caps Are Killing Pro Sports And Why The Free Market Could Save Them is now available on brucedowbigginbooks.ca.