Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been immortalized in a new artwork by Dan Llywelyn Hall, the renowned artist celebrated for his portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II. However, the portrayals have caused quite a stir amongst royal fans.
Dan, who holds the distinction of being the youngest artist to have painted the late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II has introduced a series of pieces featuring Harry and Meghan depicted as historical royals.
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In one of the portrayals, Meghan is represented as Dame Elizabeth Grey, who became Queen of England after marrying Edward IV in 1464. In the second portrayal, Prince Harry is depicted as Charles Edward Stuart, also known as Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Explaining his thought process, Dan mentioned that he saw a fine irony in casting Meghan as the White Queen, given her role as possibly the most influential outsider in royal history, and he believed this was not entirely unrealistic.
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The painting of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has since sparked considerable interest among royal fans since it was shared online. Opinions on the portrayals have been mixed, with comments ranging from positive to negative, showcasing the diverse reactions to this intriguing artistic interpretation.
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One fan voiced disapproval of the painting, writing, “Whatever the artist’s intention with this, at least it is a horrid depiction of her.” Another echoed this sentiment, questioning, “That is supposed to be Markle? Looks nothing like any of her faces!”
On the other hand, someone else argued that Meghan did not deserve to be portrayed as Elizabeth. They wrote, “It’s an insult to Elizabeth Woodville. Edward chose her for her personal qualities & this caused the scandal.”
The person then explained, “Marriages were made in those days to align for political & power reasons. She proved her worth & when he died she became Queen Dowager. Markle is nothing like Elizabeth.”
Comments continued to pour in, with one fan speculating about Meghan’s reaction to the painting, writing, “Oh, I don’t think she’ll be happy with the portrait.” Others expressed dissatisfaction with remarks like, “Don’t look nothing like her,” and “Not flattering at all.”
Another social media user wrote, “I thought H had been painted as van Gogh [sic].” Someone else noted, “They have always been royal.” One particularly harsh reaction read, “Goodness, they are rough. I really can’t say my initial reaction on this but use your imagination, it wasn’t polite!!! They look absolutely awful. A real insult.”
Born in Cardiff in 1980, Dan has made a name for himself with his vivid paintings that span both landscape and portraiture. His talent brings a unique combination of insight and raw emotional force to figurative art. Plus, his work has been widely exhibited throughout the UK.
Dan expressed his views on the royal family and the inspiration behind his artwork. He stated that the royal family is perhaps the most enthralling, longest-running drama in history. It has inspired theatre plays, books, and various art forms.
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The artist explained he saw these contemporary figures, caught on the knife edge of public opinion, as perfect subjects for drawing parallels with distant monarchs — exiled princes and princesses of the past.
Even though these figures were lurking in the background, they remained tied to their roles, making people wonder what might come next. Regarding Prince Harry, Dan mentioned that he chose to depict him before meeting Meghan. He portrayed him as a young party-goer with an uncertain future, akin to the Bonnie Prince.
Being in the limelight has exposed Harry and Meghan to a lot of public scrutiny. One aspect that has particularly puzzled many is Meghan’s estranged relationship with her father, Thomas Markle, leaving people questioning why the Duchess of Sussex cannot reconcile with him.
Recently, Thomas, who will be turning 80 in July reflected on his life outcomes from his cliffside home in Rosarito, Mexico. As Thomas approaches a significant milestone on July 18, he finds himself contemplating his role as Meghan’s father and the difficulties in their relationship.
In a candid moment, he shared his birthday wish involving Meghan. On June 22, a news outlet featured an article where Thomas reflected on his relationship with Meghan, beginning with his thoughts on his upcoming 80th birthday.
Thomas marveled at the prospect of reaching 80, noting that men in his family typically don’t live that long. He pointed out that his father passed away at 61. Reflecting on his life, he mentioned that he was proud of his accomplishments but felt that everything had been overshadowed by the events of the past six years.
Thomas’ statement clearly alludes to the highly publicized tension between him and his daughter, which has dominated news headlines for some time. According to the report, their estrangement began in 2018.
Thomas missed the opportunity to walk his youngest daughter down the aisle at her wedding to Prince Harry due to suffering two heart attacks the night before. Since then, it has been reported that Meghan and her husband have not talked to him.
Having built a beautiful family with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, Thomas can’t help but long to hear from Meghan. After referencing the challenging past six years, he revealed one of his birthday wishes, stating that he would love to hear from his daughter and meet his grandchildren.
In addition, Thomas has never met Prince Harry despite living approximately 250 miles from their mansion in Montecito, California. “When I reflect back on my life, as you do when you are approaching 80, that’s one of the questions I cannot find an answer for. Why didn’t Harry ever come to meet me?” Thomas pondered.
Thomas struggles with reconciling Prince Harry’s reported decision to not meet him, which traditionally would be customary in such marriages. Thomas also expressed his “deep empathy” for King Charles III, as he feels they share a common experience of not being able to see their grandchildren.
Meghan’s dad mentioned he would love to meet with the King of England to discuss the matter as he feels that King Charles III also has a lot of unanswered questions. “Neither of us deserves the treatment we’ve received,” Thomas boldly asserted.
Despite the Monarch not seeing his grandchildren, he has been trying to do the best he can to be in Archie and Lilibet’s lives. He sent a special birthday gift for Lilibet, who turned three on June 4.
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Princess Lilibet’s grand birthday celebration took place at Prince Harry and Meghan’s Montecito, California home. Sadly, none of the royal family were among the guests.
Reports indicate, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex invited only their closest friends to join in the festivities for their daughter’s special day. Despite this, King Charles III ensured to be involved in her important day.
According to royal expert Tom Quinn, King Charles III was determined not to overlook Princess Lilibet’s birthday, ensuring she received a gift along with a heartfelt message. Furthermore, it was revealed that the monarch had prepared a special present for Princess Lilibet once the royal tensions eased.
Tom Quinn mentioned that King Charles III had previously gifted Prince George a personalized handmade wooden swing, engraved with his name. He added that the King intended to give Princess Lilibet something similar.