The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were presented with the ‘Humanitarians of the Year’ award at the World Mental Health Day Gala in New York City earlier this month.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s receipt of the ‘Humanitarians of the Year’ award has sparked controversy due to a significant omission. The pair made an appearance at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Gala on October 9.
The couple, clearly in love, arrived hand-in-hand, being acknowledged for their mental health advocacy efforts. Meghan, 44, and Harry, 41, were also lauded for their extensive global mental health work during the World Mental Health Day Gala at Spring Studios.
The duo have previously stated that their work towards creating a safer digital world for families and young people was inspired by their children – Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, who were recently spotted in a rare video.
However, Royal expert Phil Dampier, speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive Show, expressed skepticism about their award, saying: “It does make me laugh when they get these humanitarian awards.”
He elaborated, revealing his doubts about their sincerity in accepting the award given their unresolved issues with both of their families, including King Charles and Meghan’s estranged father, Thomas Markle, reports the Express.
Mr Dampier further commented: “They can’t even make peace with their own families. “She won’t even see her own father and yet they are held up as these great philanthropists and humanitarians.”
Thomas, 81, has been estranged from his daughter since 2018 – the same year she married Prince Harry and became an official member of the Royal Family.
Thomas was notably missing from Meghan and Harry’s storybook wedding due to experiencing two heart attacks before the grand event.
Meghan has since cut off communication with her father after Thomas was embroiled in a staged photo controversy, where he allegedly coordinated a photo shoot with a paparazzi agency to alter his public persona. Harry and Meghan have also had tense relations with the Royal family for a while, especially with King Charles and Prince William.
