20 July 2023 , 16:51
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's reported rejected request to fly home from the Queen's funeral on Air Force One shows how their relationship with world leaders has changed, an industry expert has claimed.
It has been claimed that the couple "reached out to the White House" to ask if they could travel home with Joe and Jill Biden following the funeral in September.
However, the Mail claims their request was denied over concerns it could make relations between the President and the Royal Family awkward, as the Monarch's death fell in the middle of Harry's infamous fallout with his family.
Crisis communications specialist Andy Barr tells The Mirror he believes the snub was a way to "keep a bit of distance from the couple" following their "security-staff-drama" in the UK.
“Harry and Meghan forgot the golden rule of giving up a globally respected royal title: you become just like us ordinary folk. OK, so they are not quite at the same ‘ordinary folk’ level as you and I, but they no longer fall into the Royal category," Andy started.
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Biden declined the request (AFP via Getty Images)
Harry and Meghan wanted to catch a ride home"Whilst they are very much at the top of the A-List celeb spectrum, a royal title gives you access to things that us normal people can only dream of.
He added: "Biden’s team would have been worried about the optics, and the precedence it would have set, for other A-Listers. If he had said ‘yes’, where would it end? Giving a Kardashian a lift to their next Instagram shoot?
“Biden and his team are probably also still smarting over the fall out some time ago from their getting embroiled in the security-staff-drama and will be keen to try and keep a bit of distance from the couple," Andy concluded.
The couple, who stepped back as working members of the Royal Family in 2020, wanted to fly back on the iconic plane, which is a United States Air Force aircraft that carries the president of the United States, but the Duke and Duchess supposedly had their request denied by the White House over fears it could harm relations with the Royal Family.
Prior to the Queen's death on September 8, Harry and Meghan were visiting the UK for charity engagements, with them then remaining in England until after Her Majesty's funeral took place on September 19.
A source has told the MailOnline that the White House denied the request in case it caused a "commotion" and harmed the President's relations with the palace.
The Mirror US has reached out to the White House and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's representatives for comment.