The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have ben continuing their public appearances, as William and Kate have withdrawn from royal duties in recent months as Kate continues her cancer treatment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent Nigeria trip and efforts to build their profile might have them being seen as ‘the more fashionable version of William and Kate’.

As the Prince and Princess of Wales have withdrawn from royal duties in recent months as Kate continues her cancer treatment, it appears the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped up their appearances despite not being working royals any longer. The couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020, but they have kept their royal titles and a recent three day trip to Nigeria was likened to a royal tour by critics. Now, Buckingham Palace has announced that the Royal Family is to postpone engagements that may appear to divert attention or distract from the election campaign.

Royal author and expert Tom Quinn exclusively told the Mirror : “Harry and Meghan, the renegade Royals, will struggle to conceal their delight that the Royal family has decided to postpone much of its work in the run-up to the general election at the beginning of July.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
Harry and Meghan’s recent Nigeria trip was deemed a success, and thought to paint them as ‘a more relaxed, more fashionable version of William and Kate’

He added: “Freed of the normal constraints on working royals, Harry and Megan are canny enough to know that this gives them a chance to fill the gap – that in the coming weeks the focus is bound to shift to them. You only have to look at photographs of the couple during their recent Nigeria tour to see that that they are determined to be seen as a more relaxed, more fashionable version of William and Kate. That’s why they make sure they are constantly seen holding hands and emphasising their commitment to the young and disadvantaged.”

He concluded: “It’s a clever pitch from a couple who want to be seen as the fun alternative to the fusty, out of touch and now largely shutdown Royal family.”

Princess Kate and Prince William
The Prince and Princess of Wales have withdrawn from royal duties in recent months as Kate continues her cancer treatment 
Image:
Getty Images)

Harry and Meghan’s renewed focus on their personal appearances is thought to have worried William and Kate, as Tom Quinn previously told the Mirror: “The senior royals, especially William and Kate, are terrified of one thing above all others: that Harry and Meghan will continue to organise trips across the world until they are seen as the public face of the royal family. The fear is made worse because William knows that with his wife stricken with cancer he cannot compete and he can’t stop the Meghan and Harry rollercoaster.”

Harry and Meghan, who stepped down from the royal family in 2020, have also hinted that there could be future trips for the couple, as in a message thanking the people of Nigeria following their return home, they described it as “the first of many trips”.