Judy Murray: Is Harry going doolally in La La Land?

Harry is not just living in LA, he truly is in La La Land. His recent capers – that NBC TV appearance when he spoke about his “special” relationship his grandmother the Queen and his public claim that she confides in him things she can’t talk to anyone else about has left Buckingham Palace and his family reeling.

I’m not surprised! I’m not sure why he felt the need to share details of a private conversation with his gran with the media but the bit that appears to have rattled everyone the most was his seemingly barbed comment: “I’m just making sure that she’s protected and got the right people around.”

Well Harry, you’re coming across as delusional. You have removed yourself from the UK to live over the pond in California, you haven’t seen your grandmother since last summer, and now you’ve popped in for a cup of tea en route to the Invictus Games. Are you seriously suggesting you have come all the way from California to make sure she’s protected? Our Queen is probably the most protected person on the planet. I bet that remark went down like a lead balloon with Prince Charles and Prince William who are always there for her, and it is a kick in the teeth for the people on her team who cared for her throughout the pandemic and after the loss of her beloved Prince Philip.

Harry has not committed to be being with his gran for her Platinum Jubilee – 70 years of the most devoted service but it looks like he won’t be there to mark it. And he wasn’t there for Prince Philip’s memorial service. Harry has missed vitally important occasions in the Queen’s life and then he pops in for a cuppa and says he is trying to protect her. Well it doesn’t wash with me and it certainly doesn’t wash with the British public. Sometimes you just want to say: “Wise up Harry and don’t speak to the media. Some things should remain private.”

And what about the ludicrous statement he made about his dead mother guiding him from beyond the grave? He is simply fuelling the narrative that he has been completely “Hollywood-ised”. The Sussexes are getting their PR horribly wrong. Is Harry merely trying to keep himself in the public eye and relevant? Is this just about self-promotion? After all, his greatest selling point is the royal connection and it doesn’t get much bigger than the Queen, especially on her 96th birthday.

Harry’s visit to her felt like tokenism. He has missed important stages in her life recently when she needed support and will have wanted all her family around her. I am sure she has been embarrassed and disappointed by a lot that has come out from him, like that bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview. It seems he has lost his sense of reality and of what is important. The royal family must be really worried about what is yet to emerge on Netflix, Spotify and in Harry’s memoirs, which are reported to be bringing in tens of millions of pounds for him and his family.

What a shame. Watching clips of him at the Invictus Games for wounded and sick military veterans, I was reminded of the Harry of old. He was the much-loved playful, wilful, prince, who has inherited the great people skills of his mum. But he’s losing the room. There is a chance to build some bridges though. The Queen has invited Harry to join her on the balcony for her Platinum Jubilee celebration. Our Queen is not only a monarch but a matriarch. She will be trying to keep the family together regardless of all the embarrassing situations that have occurred. She will know it is vital to try to maintain some kind of connection. Harry and Meghan are still part of the family. And there is nothing more important than family.

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On the subject of the Platinum Jubilee, I loved that toy-maker Mattel has created a Queen Barbie doll to mark 70 years on the throne for Elizabeth II. And it’s a beauty.

Barbie has traditionally always been a young, tall, slim, long-haired, wide-eyed fashionista but in recent years Mattel has created a range of role model dolls based on women from all walks of life who have performed extraordinary feats. It’s part of the company’s tribute collection that pays homage to “visionary individuals with an outstanding impact and legacy”.

You won’t find many more exceptional women than our Queen. Whether you are a royal family fan or not, you have to admire her sense of duty and unwavering commitment to her duties. In the 70 years she has been on the throne I’m not sure she’s put a foot wrong and I bet she and her huge brood of grandchildren and great-grandchildren are tickled pink with this honour.