Queen Elizabeth's 'Hasty' Decision to Ban Prince Harry From Royal Duties in 2020 Labeled as 'Too Harsh'

The late Queen Elizabeth II has been called a monarch who expected her royal commands to be obeyed. One such directive the sovereign gave Prince Harry in early 2020 has now been called "hasty" in how it has led to a severe "shortage of senior royals," with Harry and Meghan Markle now dedicated to Hollywood. At the infamous "Sandringham Summit" in January of that year, Her late Majesty squashed the duo's request to become "half-royals," according to expert Jennie Bond.

"I've always held the view that the late Queen and the palace were quite harsh when they put down this red line, 'you can't be half-in, half-out,'" Bond explained. "I think in a modern, evolving monarchy, perhaps a way could have been found, to incorporate what they wanted, which was, we thought, some privacy at least, to not always being on show."

Bond continued: "With the royal role, what became so tricky was that they wanted to be financially independent, which means commercial, which means a conflict of interest. But I think they were a bit hasty, the palace in saying 'absolutely no.'"

Both the late Queen and currently King Charles III, remain firm in their command that Harry and Meghan, nor any senior royal, will monetize the British monarchy, which is a governmental institution stretching across multiple nations.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex decided to ditch the monarchy and their public commitments shortly before the start of the pandemic lockdowns in March 2020. Their final engagement after 22 months as working royals was the body language-filled Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey on March 9, which analysts said was "overflowing" with "dirty looks" from both the Sussex duo and senior royals towards them.

This is also when some royal analysts first date Prince William's "vitriolic hatred" of what he perceives his younger brother and sister-in-law to be, which is "grifters."

"William's word wields great power, as it should, he's the heir to the throne," Bond observed. "And I'm afraid all that's been going on [since the Sussexes left the Firm], the bricks, the accusations, the hurt, the pain, the rift is too deep now between William and Harry, and I think William has more or less blotted Harry out of his mind."

Elizabeth II was said to feel "great remorse" in how Harry and Meghan could not cut it as working royals, and spent the final two years of her "legendary reign" and life swatting away Sussex scandals. This was compounded by the "devastating" controversies surrounding Prince Andrew, and the death of Prince Philip in April 2021. Still, observers say she "never wavered" on her directive for Harry and Meghan: "You're either in or out," and there is no such thing as "part-time royals."

Daily Express reported on Bond's remarks.