Prince Harry heading to UN to 'relaunch' brand after Jubilee humiliation, says journalist

A journalist has questioned the timing of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's visit to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday, July 18. Their attendance sparks speculations that they are there to reclaim their reputation after they were humiliated at the Platinum Jubilee.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the U.K. earlier in June to join the 70th year celebration of Queen Elizabeth II's reign. They attended one public engagement, the Thanksgiving Service at St. Paul's Cathedral, where the public greeted them with a mix of boos and cheers. It is said that they had a frosty welcome from the royal family.

Writing for The Daily Beast, royal correspondent Tom Sykes said that Prince Harry plans to "relaunch his career as a global humanitarian with a keynote address at the United Nations General Assembly in New York next week to mark Nelson Mandela Day."

He added, "The livestream of the event Monday is likely to attract huge attention, and Harry's presence will inject a dose of glamour into usually dry U.N. proceedings. Appearing with his wife Meghan alongside him, the event will mark a carefully curated return to public life for the couple as they flirt with increasingly political causes."

Sykes claimed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's appearance at the United Nations General Assembly "will turn a page on the humiliations they suffered" during the Platinum Jubilee. They did not publicly mingle with Prince Charles, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and Camilla. They were also seated behind the Duke of Gloucester and did not appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony for the RAF flypast.

For next week's assembly, the Duke of Sussex will reportedly deliver a speech about world hunger and climate change. The announcement has left others questioning his influence on people and why he was invited to make the speech especially concerning poverty, when he lives in a nine-bedroom mansion in Montecito, Santa Barbara, California.

Next week's appearance at the United Nations General Assembly will mark the second such engagement for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. They also attended the event in September 2021 but did not give a speech. The Deputy Secretary-General of the U.N., Amina J. Mohammed, later tweeted that they had a "conversation" about various issues.