So much for an invisible year! After a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey and megabucks deals with streaming giants the Sussexes are preparing for a more ‘visible’ phase. CLAUDIA CONNELL looks back at the couple’s ‘annus invisibillis’…
Holed up in their Californian mansion, enjoying some well-earned quiet family time, you could be forgiven for forgetting that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex even exist.
Apart from a bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, umpteen megabucks deals with streaming services and publishers and holding the world record for Zoom calls, we’ve barely heard a peep out of them.
What a relief then, that their biographer Omid Scobie has revealed Harry and Meghan are about to enter ‘a new era of visibility’.
Here, Claudia Connell looks back at what might be termed their ‘annus invisibilis’ and suggests it’s a wonder we can even remember what they look like . . .
August 2020: Finding me-dom
Visible moments: 12
Finding Freedom, the book that told the story behind ‘Megxit,’ that Meghan absolutely did not co-operate with was released at the start of the month
Finding Freedom, the book that told the story behind ‘Megxit’, which Meghan absolutely did not co-operate with, was released at the start of the month, making it hard for the couple to keep the low profile they so desperately crave.
So clearly determined to keep their heads down, they took part in 11 interviews, Zoom chats and promos between them, covering everything from how people should vote to the horror of hate speech.
Harry took part in a Netflix documentary about the Paralympics.
Meghan found time to film a ‘backyard chat’ with Gloria Steinem.
The couple also donned facemasks (which, to be fair, did make them a little less visible) to hand out nappies and other essentials for hard-up families at a charity event in Los Angeles.
September 2020: Talent for publicity
Visible moments: 8
One of the best ways to keep a low profile is to record a video message for one of the U.S.’s most watched TV talent shows.
Meghan popped up on America’s Got Talent this month to wish a contestant luck after being moved by his story of wrongful imprisonment.
She and Harry were also seen encouraging people to vote at the forthcoming presidential election. There were two charity appeals and they planted forget-me-nots (as if!) on a visit to a pre-school.
Most exciting of all was signing a deal with Netflix said to be worth £100 million to create programmes that ‘offer hope’.
There were two charity appeals and they planted forget-me-nots (as if!) on a visit to a pre-school
October 2020: The Zoom boom
Visible moments: 10
Harry and Meghan invited a group of teenagers into their £12 million mansion on World Mental Health Day, socially distanced and wearing masks.
But this was the month which had us all asking if they have the ‘unlimited’ package on Zoom, because they were never off the thing. They chatted about Black History Month, Harry sent good wishes to London Marathon runners and there was also a talk with campaigner Malala Yousafzai.
Harry and Meghan kindly warned about the dangers of getting addicted to social media — and then launched the Archewell Foundation website which, fingers crossed, nobody at all will get addicted to.
Most thrilling of all was the release of a striking new black and white portrait of the couple by cool LA photographer Matt Sayles to celebrate their hosting a Time magazine event.
The couple laid flowers at the LA National Cemetery for Remembrance Day, with a photographer there to capture the occasion
November 2020: Remember us?
Visible moments: 4
A quiet month for the Sussexes during their era of invisibility. Not to be beaten by Meghan popping up on America’s Got Talent, Harry did the same on Strictly Come Dancing when he recorded a video message for his friend JJ Chalmers, who was a contestant.
Meghan wrote a moving essay about suffering a miscarriage and the couple laid flowers at the LA National Cemetery for Remembrance Day, with a photographer there to capture the occasion.
Harry also volunteered at a charity project for veterans suffering during the Covid crisis by handing out fresh fruit and veg to former military personnel. It is not known if he copied his wife’s technique of writing inspirational messages on bananas.
December 2020: Archie gets in on the action
Visible moments: 8
In the build-up to ‘the holidays’ H&M undid a few buttons on their invisibility cloaks as they announced a reported £18 million deal to make podcasts for Spotify.
They did a video to plug the venture and their first podcast, about mental health, went out.
Listeners got to hear Archie speaking and they released a Christmas card showing a painting of the family next to a Wendy house.
They released a Christmas card showing a painting of the family next to a Wendy house
January 2021: Play the name blame game
Visible moments: 4
Things were going swimmingly until a huge row erupted over Archie’s amended birth certificate
A new year (or is it still ‘the holidays’?) and things start quietly for the Sussexes.
They mark Martin Luther King Day with a charitable donation and a letter thanking veterans for their service. Harry helped the Australian PM launch a mental health initiative.
He gave an interview to business magazine Fast Company where he said that he and his wife wanted to be part of ‘the human experience’ and not ‘a human experiment’.
Things were going swimmingly until a huge row erupted over Archie’s amended birth certificate.
Some time after his birth, ‘Rachel Meghan’ was removed and replaced with ‘Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Sussex’. Meghan issued an angry statement saying the move was ‘dictated’ by the Palace . . . as fallouts go, it was tame compared with what was to come.
February: Snap-happy waffle
Visible moments: 10
It’s the month that the intensely private couple announced they were expecting a baby by releasing an artsy black-and-white photograph showing a barefoot Harry cradling pregnant Meghan’s head in his lap — you don’t get that with the Palace!
It’s the month that the intensely private couple announced they were expecting a baby by releasing an artsy black-and-white photograph showing a barefoot Harry cradling pregnant Meghan’s head in his lap — you don’t get that with the Palace!
They squeezed in a promo for Spotify and dropped in on a Zoom poetry class for teenagers.
But the biggest news was the announcement that they were to do a ‘tell all’ interview with Oprah Winfrey where ‘nothing would be off limits’.
To get us in the mood, Harry appeared on the James Corden show (Megs put in a cameo revealing she calls Harry ‘Haz’).
Harry recounted that The Queen sent them a waffle maker for Christmas. Did that mean they would be full of waffle for the foreseeable? Yes and no…
March: Going global with their woes on Oprah
Visible moments: 6 (but it felt like 106)
The Oprah inteview aired in 68 countries, where the couple told ‘their truth’ to the TV mogul.
They spoke for two hours about how they had been ‘silenced’ and their decision to flee the horrible, racist Royal Family who’d cut them off without a penny (well, sort of) and wouldn’t let poor Harry ride a bike.
They revealed they were expecting a baby girl and released yet another black-and-white family snap showing the back of Archie’s head and Meghan’s burgeoning bump.
Despite the fall out from Oprah, Meghan found time to write lots of letters about empowerment and Harry even got a proper job . . . well, a job. It was announced he was to be ‘Chief Impact Officer’ at a Silicon Valley start-up called BetterUp and that he wanted his colleagues to call him ‘Harry’ — not ‘Haz’?
The Oprah inteview aired in 68 countries, where the couple told ‘their truth’ to the TV mogul
April
Visible moments: 5
Prince Philip died and Harry flew over for the funeral, leaving pregnant Meghan at home.
Harry released a statement saying his grandfather was ‘always authentically himself’. He finished by saying that although he could go on, he was picturing his grandfather, beer in hand, saying: ‘Oh do get on with it.’ Weren’t we all . . .
Harry was spotted taking his dogs for a walk on a Californian beach and joined forces with Meghan as the ‘global chairs’ of the upcoming virtual Vax Live concert to ‘reunite the world’ following the pandemic.
Meghan also hosted a virtual conference for teenage girls, where she encouraged them to challenge injustices and reflected on trailblazing women throughout history.
She also proved herself to be just a regular mom when she was photographed carrying an impressively tall Archie to pre-school.
May: Bench press and genetic pain
The big news during their least invisible month ever was the announcement that Meghan had written a children’s book called The Bench, inspired by Harry’s relationship with Archie.
There was also another picture released of Archie (from the back) on his third birthday.
Harry did a seemingly endless round of publicity to promote the Apple TV series he’d made with new bestie Oprah called The Me You Can’t See.
He appeared on breakfast TV, and took part in a podcast with American actor Dax Shepard where he discussed his ‘genetic pain and suffering’.
When The Me You Can’t See aired, Meghan put in another one of her cameos in a T-shirt emblazoned with ‘Raising The Future.’
The couple also appeared at the Vax Live event and teamed up with consumer giant Procter & Gamble to build more ‘compassionate communities’.
The couple also appeared at the Vax Live event and teamed up with consumer giant Procter & Gamble to build more ‘compassionate communities’
June: New baby, new row
Visible moments: 9
Baby Lilibet Diana was born and her arrival immediately led to another fall-out — this time over whether Harry and Meghan had asked the Queen’s permission to use her childhood pet name. Harry said they absolutey had, a royal source told the BBC they absolutely hadn’t.
The Bench was published with Meghan dedicating it to ‘the man and boy who make my heart go pump pump’.
Harry revealed that the 2023 Invictus Games would be in Dusseldorf, he promoted the Diana Awards and put in a surprise visit at the WellChild Award in London with his celebrity lookalike Ed Sheeran.
June: Big on books
Visible moments: 6
More big news! This time that Harry had signed an £18 million publishing deal for a memoir.
He’s writing it ‘not as the Prince I was born as but the man I’ve become’. He also spoke about wearing ‘a lot of hats both literally and figuratively’.
It was announced that Meghan would be producing an animated series for Netflix and Harry attended a ceremony to unveil a statue in honour of his mother.
August: Speechless? No …
Visible moments: 3
Meghan celebrated her 40th with a ‘40 x 40’ charity initiative announced via a comedy Zoom call with actress Melissa McCarthy, who dressed up in a hat and gloves and drank tea, like we all do here.
Harry and Meghan declared themselves ‘speechless’ at the atrocities happening around the world, releasing a wordy statemen. And Harry took part in a polo match to raise money for his Sentebale charity.
Total: 98 events in a year
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