Prince Harry has delivered numerous speeches throughout his life, as is customary for a prince.
These engagements typically involve him attending events, offering a few remarks—often scripted by someone else—perhaps sharing a joke, and then enjoying the applause before taking his seat. He has done this countless times, and while his speeches might not always captivate, they tend to engage the audience more than those of his wife, whose monotonous delivery can be quite soporific.
Recently, however, there has been a noticeable decline in Harry's speaking prowess, perhaps influenced by his wife's style. Footage from a dinner event, where Harry and his wife were seated at tables labeled Duke and Duchess, shows Harry delivering a speech about the Invictus Games. For once, the audience was spared his wife's typically dreary monologue. Taking the podium, Harry spoke about sports as a unifying tool for physical and mental healing, reminiscing about the past decade of the Invictus Games, which have been held in the UK, USA, and Germany.
Despite his efforts, the audience seemed largely disinterested, chatting throughout his speech and signaling their lack of enthusiasm for the Sussexes. The camera even captured soldiers who appeared to find the situation amusingly irrelevant. Harry’s visible struggle with the audience's inattentiveness only abated when he received some applause at the end, undoubtedly a moment of relief for him.
In another incident, Harry and his wife faced criticism for not singing the national anthem during their trip to Nigeria, an act labeled as embarrassing by Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler. Speaking to GB News, Burrell suggested that Harry’s reluctance to sing the anthem stemmed from his embarrassment about the UK.
Burrell emphasized that maintaining a royal image is crucial for the couple, as it is their unique selling proposition. Without this image, they lose their significance. He pointed out that Harry and Meghan are no longer working royals, do not represent the king or the country, and are undermining the positive work done by royals in Commonwealth nations.
Burrell further noted that the couple's trip to Nigeria was not an official royal visit, which made the playing of the national anthem inappropriate. He questioned why the anthem was played and speculated that Meghan might not even know the words, though Harry certainly does. Watching a clip of Harry and Meghan standing silently during the anthem, Burrell expressed his embarrassment, not just for the couple but for the UK and the world.
British journalist and author Robert Jobson echoed these sentiments, stating that the Sussexes’ visit to Nigeria was a missed opportunity. He argued that their current status does not carry the same influence as when they were active working royals, diminishing their impact on the world stage.
