Columnists
The Dream Team
So Prince Harry and Meghan Markle want to step back from the burden of Royal work and to do so splitting their time between North America and Britain. Having watched 18 episodes (with 12 left to go) of The Crown, I consider myself something of an expert on matters Royal, so I will venture to comment.
Prince Harry is sixth in the line of succession to the throne. Prince Charles is first, followed by Prince William and his three young children. The chances of Harry ever being called upon to wear the Crown are pretty slight. (The Royal Actuary could probably come up with a precise percentage). So why not let him and Meghan (and Archie) set up shop in North America?
Commentator consensus has it that by saying “North America” they more precisely mean “Canada”—where they spent their Christmas; and where they liked it so much they paid a special thank you visit to the Canadian High Commission in London.
The public consensus seems to be that Harry and Meghan, more formally known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, would be welcome here. Indeed, some are already suggesting he be made King of Canada, or failing that, Governor General. (Julie Payette would presumably be induced to step aside quietly to take up a space mission to Mars). Yet we may get their presence without the need to make them reigning top dogs; and they may prefer to live as commoners.
There is bound to be a bit of a competition to secure their place of residence. Victoria appears to be in the catbird seat: it’s where they spent Christmas, it’s close to the Markle ancestral homeland of California, it has a climate that could be British, and a name that is very British. Yet Toronto is in there with a chance: Meghan called it home for the five years she was filming Suits, and it is home also to ‘stylist’ and best friend Jessica Mulroney.
The bidding might get intense; for all we know, Prince Edward Island could have offered the Royal couple the exclusive use of the Anne of Green Gables cottage. So maybe the Ontario government should up the ante by offering to buy a residence in the Sandbsnks Summer Village enclave for them. After all, it gets hot in the big city, and there’s nothing like dipping your toes in the cool waters of East Lake to refresh your spirits. It just might tip the balance.
The Sussexes have also indicated their wish for financial independence from the monarchy. Indeed, their good names could earn them a tidy income. They have already figured out their “brand” and have put up a spiffy new website to show it off (sussexroyal.com). They probably have an equally sophisticated marketing plan under development, which I have no doubt will employ good taste in all its works. You won’t catch them speaking in excited tones about the local furniture and appliance store’s “no interest for 20 years” sale event. Far more likely that they will adopt discreet package labels that employ such honeyed words as “By appointment to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, supplier of chocolate biscuits since 2020.”
There is another international celebrity who is shortly going to be retreating from England to Ottawa —Mark Carney, formerly Governor of the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada and now the U.N. Secretary General’s dollar-a-year special ambassador on climate change.
He’s only 54: what does he do for an encore? The obvious steps are for him to take a slew of corporate directorships here and a distinguished visiting professorship there. But would that be enough for a challenge for him?
Some have linked him to a political career. Coincidentally, a columnist in last weekend’s paper speculated that Justin Trudeau was getting tired of the ‘governing’ business and was ready to move on. You can read what you like into his decision over the holidays to hole up and grow a ‘world’s most interesting man’ beard, but some have taken it as corroboration of that perception.
Aside from politics, my only suggestion to Mr. Carney is that he make a proposal to the CBC to secure the Saturday night, late in the first intermission spot recently vacated by Don Cherry, and rename it “Economist’s Corner.” He could use it to tell old war stories about when he was an economist in the minor leagues and interest rates were at 17 per cent, or when the Argentinian economy was in the tank. It could generate a whole new audience for the CBC—although there may be some risk of deterioration in the existing audience.
Then again, perhaps he could form a partnership with Harry and Meghan (and Archie), and add some macroeconomic punch to their already strong brand. Those chocolate biscuits could bear an additional “Mark Likes Them Too” sticker. What a dream team!
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