Prince Harry is looking as miserable as Edward VIII, biographer claims

A royal biographer claims Prince Harry has looked as miserable as Edward VIII after stepping back from royal duties with his wife, Meghan Markle.

Hugo Vickers, who has written books about the Duke of Kent and the Queen Mother Queen Elizabeth, claims that both Harry and Edward VIII ‘appeared to radiate sadness’ after cutting ties with the royal family.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 in an alleged attempt to avoid media scrutiny and the pressures associated with being working royals.

Similarly, the Duke of Windsor, who had previously been King of England, abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson – a union opposed by the British government.

Although Edward VIII never admitted to regretting his abdication, Mr Vickers claims he had ‘never seen anyone with such sad eyes’ as the former monarch.

“I think the reason the Queen always had such sparkling eyes was because she dedicated herself to duty,” Mr Vickers said during a speech at the Henley Literary Festival. The times reported.

He claimed that Edward VIII ‘took the road to perceived happiness’ by marrying Mrs Simpson, but ‘in the end it’s duty that makes you happy’.

‘If you woke him up at 4 in the morning and asked if he had any regrets, he would have said no. But if you want to know what he was really thinking, look at his eyes,’ said the author.

Vickers claimed that Prince Harry has also appeared unhappy after giving up his life as a royal.

‘As for the Duke of Sussex, who knows what’s going to happen to him? I think he looks very miserable,’ he said.

The biographer also spoke about new King Charles III’s vision for a slimmed-down monarchy, claiming it is risky for the royal family.

“I don’t know how you can have a slimmed-down monarchy because people want to see them,” he explained.

‘The Queen and Prince Philip had around 2,000 organizations between them. You have lost Prince Andrew and Prince Harry. Who’s going to do it?’

Sir. Vickers’ remarks came just days after Buckingham Palace released the first official photo of King Charles III with his queen consort, Camilla.

At their side is the Prince of Wales, his eldest son and heir – clearly quite a bit taller than Charles – and the newly appointed Princess of Wales, his wife.

The photograph is naturally full of symbolism: the new sovereign is pictured with her son and heir, while behind them is a brilliant portrait of King George III, the longest-reigning male monarch in British history.

But what is perhaps even more remarkable is that the photo was taken on the eve of the Queen’s funeral, when our four most senior royals were due to host a huge reception for visiting heads of state.

The unspoken elephant in the room is the absence of the King’s younger son, Harry.

Three years ago, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex would have had every expectation of becoming part of the family ensemble.