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Prince Harry and Prince William's dual interactions with different sides of the Kennedy family during U.S. engagements over the coming weeks has been labeled "weird" by a prominent royal commentator who told Newsweek that it "highlights a split in the Kennedy clan," as well as among the Windsors.
Prince William and Kate Middleton are heading stateside for a royal visit from November 30 to December 2, where they will attend the Earthshot Prize awards ceremony co-hosted in the city of Boston by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum whose honorary president is Caroline Kennedy, the president's only daughter and today the American ambassador to Australia.
Just four days later, Harry and wife Meghan Markle will rub shoulders with another branch of the Kennedy family, as they are due to fly to New York City to accept the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Award from the late politician's daughter, Kerry Kennedy.
The couple have been given the honor for their "willingness to speak up and change the narrative on racial justice."
In a recent magazine interview, Kerry Kennedy praised Harry and Meghan for going into "the oldest institution in U.K. history" and telling them "what they were doing wrong, that they couldn't have structural racism within the institution."
This comment provoked backlash from royal fans and commentators, adding to criticism from her own brother, Robert Kennedy Jr. who called the choice of Harry and Meghan as recipients of the award "bewildering."
Meghan first spoke about the racism she said she faced as a member of the royal family during her 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey. She cited the royal household's unwillingness to protect her from negative press and racially insensitive comments made by an unnamed member of the royal family regarding the skin color of her unborn children as contributing factors in the Sussexes' 2020 move to the U.S.
In response, Queen Elizabeth II issued a statement from Buckingham Palace reading:
"The whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan. The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately. Harry, Meghan, and Archie will always be much loved family members."
That the Sussexes and the Waleses should both be participating in separate events with branches of the Kennedy family in the space of a week has been labeled "weird" by royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams, particularly given the reported rift between the two Windsor couples.
"This is weird. Firstly we see the Prince and Princess of Wales attend the launch of the 2022 Earthshot Prize with Ambassador Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the iconic former President John F. Kennedy, as host," he told Newsweek.
"Within a few days, the Sussexes are presented with the Ripple of Hope Award by Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert Kennedy, for their activities subverting the very institution which gives them their work and which they are still members of.
"This highlights a split in the Kennedy clan and is manna from heaven for the media, which not unnaturally will highlight what is seen as a clash."
The trip will mark William and Kate's first overseas visit as Prince and Princess of Wales, the titles given to them by King Charles after he acceded to the throne in September.
The last Princess of Wales to visit the U.S. was Diana who spent time in Washington just weeks before her death in a 1997 Paris car crash 25 years ago.
The purpose of the visit is to attend the second annual Earthshot Prize awards ceremony, an eco-initiative spearheaded by William that awards funding to scale-up projects aiming to protect, preserve or repair the planet's ecosystem.
The name "Earthshot" takes direct inspiration from President John F. Kennedy's 1962 "Moonshot" speech which set out the U.S's ambitious goal to land a man on the moon.
The couple's long absence from the U.S (eight years) has, in part, been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic, but now that travel has more or less resumed and the new reign of King Charles III established, the couple could do well to visit more frequently, according to Fitzwilliams.
"The Prince and Princess of Wales are the world's most sought after and glamorous royal couple," he said. "It would be a good idea if they were to visit the United States more often. They highlight several charitable causes and do remarkable work which represents a wonderful use of the soft power benefits monarchy brings."
Alternatively, he spoke of his belief that Harry and Meghan should have turned down their award on the grounds that it causes friction with the rest of the royals.
"By accepting the Ripple award, which they should have declined, with a Netflix docuseries to follow and Harry's memoir out in the New Year, the Sussexes have put themselves on an inevitable collision course with the royal family. Meanwhile they will reap benefits from what will be seen as an endorsement of their activities, especially the interview on Oprah which, considering its inaccuracies, is truly shameful."
The evening of the Ripple of Hope awards is also the evening that Meghan will find out if she has won a People's Choice Award for her nominated podcast Archetypes. The Sussexes will not attend the glamorous Hollywood ceremony in favor of the New York City-based humanitarian award event.
The Earthshot Prize awards ceremony will begin streaming at 2:00 p.m. ET on Monday, December 5 on PBS.org.
Newsweek approached Kensington Palace and representatives of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for comment.
Do you have a question about King Charles III, William and Kate, Meghan and Harry or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
About the writer
James Crawford-Smith is a Newsweek Royal Reporter, based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on the British royal family ... Read more