Insiders within the UK royal household have revealed new details on how Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, left royal life.
Palace sources said Prince Harry and Meghan had battles with the media and royal household staff over the course of years.
And all the time, the shadow of Princess Diana — Prince Harry’s mother who died in a Paris car crash when he was 12 — hung over Meghan’s marriage and her move from actress to duchess, The Times reported.
The new details come as Prince Harry returns to the US after a European tour that was extended when his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II died.
For most events surrounding the funeral, Prince Harry was in civilian garb rather than military uniforms, a stark reminder that he is no longer a working royal.
“There were constant battles with the media and expecting the team to be on your side,” said one unnamed inside source. “He was always on Twitter. You then had to be on everything, too. Every minor infraction was a big deal.”
Another said Prince Harry “definitely had mistrust of the courtiers at Buckingham Palace and his father’s palace”.
Before Meghan arrived in the UK, Prince Harry had to fight to secure her bodyguards.
His private secretary, Ed Lane Fox, argued Meghan needed immediate protection but it took two months to be approved.
“Ed had to wage a huge battle to get [the Home Office] to understand that she would not be able to live her life without police protection,” a source said.
“Ed did amazing things for her behind the scenes, but none of them was really appreciated.”
The royal insiders also revealed details of a meeting between the Duchess of Sussex and Miguel Head, Prince William’s private secretary, before her wedding.
The royal household reportedly wanted to avoid the mistakes made when Princess Diana married then-Prince Charles.
“The entire place, because of everything about her and because of what Harry’s previous girlfriends had been through, was bending over backwards to make sure that every option was open,” a source said.
Despite official efforts to bring Meghan into the royal family, relations with staff deteriorated over time to the point where the couple retired.
In late 2017, a senior aide warned the royal couple over how they treated staff and the need for understanding.
In autumn 2018, communications chief Jason Knauf grew more concerned about how staff were being treated by Meghan and Prince Harry.
On one occasion, there was a clash between Meghan and staff members over a mix-up over press attending an event in London.
In February 2021, her lawyers issued a statement denying accusations that she bullied staff.
England squad
Joe Root (captain), Alastair Cook, Keaton Jennings, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wicketkeeper), Ben Stokes (vice-captain), Moeen Ali, Liam Dawson, Toby Roland-Jones, Stuart Broad, Mark Wood, James Anderson.
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The President's Cake
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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No more lice
Defining head lice
Pediculus humanus capitis are tiny wingless insects that feed on blood from the human scalp. The adult head louse is up to 3mm long, has six legs, and is tan to greyish-white in colour. The female lives up to four weeks and, once mature, can lay up to 10 eggs per day. These tiny nits firmly attach to the base of the hair shaft, get incubated by body heat and hatch in eight days or so.
Identifying lice
Lice can be identified by itching or a tickling sensation of something moving within the hair. One can confirm that a person has lice by looking closely through the hair and scalp for nits, nymphs or lice. Head lice are most frequently located behind the ears and near the neckline.
Treating lice at home
Head lice must be treated as soon as they are spotted. Start by checking everyone in the family for them, then follow these steps. Remove and wash all clothing and bedding with hot water. Apply medicine according to the label instructions. If some live lice are still found eight to 12 hours after treatment, but are moving more slowly than before, do not re-treat. Comb dead and remaining live lice out of the hair using a fine-toothed comb.
After the initial treatment, check for, comb and remove nits and lice from hair every two to three days. Soak combs and brushes in hot water for 10 minutes.Vacuum the floor and furniture, particularly where the infested person sat or lay.
Courtesy Dr Vishal Rajmal Mehta, specialist paediatrics, RAK Hospital
