Prince Harry is facing backlash after attending the Living Legends of Aviation Awards in Los Angeles, where he took a selfie with a self-proclaimed German prince known for leveraging his questionable royal connections to promote a wealth elixir and venture into reality TV.
The Duke of Sussex, honored at the event for his military service and philanthropic endeavors, was unknowingly photographed alongside Prince Mario Max Schoenberglipp, who is not a legitimate member of the German nobility but rather the adopted son of a distant relative of the Schoenberglipp lineage.
The selfie, shared on social media by Schoenberglipp, has stirred up a wave of criticism and mockery from royal experts and commentators, casting doubt on Harry's discernment and integrity.
Many have raised concerns about the irony of Harry aligning himself with a dubious figure exploiting his royal connections for personal gain, especially following his and Meghan Markle's decision to step back from the royal family and pursue independent media projects in the United States.
Schoenberglipp, who asserts a distant kinship with the British royals, has been disavowed by the head of his family, Prince Alexander of Schoenberglipp, accusing him of capitalizing on their name for personal profit.
Despite being adopted into the Schoenberglipp family in his twenties by Prince Waldemar, Schoenberglipp lacks the legal entitlement to employ the princely title under German law.
At 46 years old, he has gained notoriety as a fixture on European trash TV, appearing on reality shows like Celebrity Big Brother, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and Millionaire Matchmaker, while embroiled in various scandals, including promoting a €99 “Wealth Elixir” on a shopping channel.
Renowned royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams admonished Harry for his association with Schoenberglipp, asserting that the incident has tarnished his reputation and strained familial ties.
Fitzwilliams emphasized the importance of Harry exercising caution in his choice of companions and avoiding involvement in events deemed beneath his status.
Biographer Phil Dampier echoed these sentiments, attributing the selfie to Harry and Meghan's diminishing popularity and financial struggles in the U.S., where they reside in their ailing Montecito estate.
Dampier criticized Harry for allegedly betraying his heritage and succumbing to his wife's influence, forsaking his principles in the process.
The controversy surrounding Harry's selfie has drawn parallels to a past incident involving his late mother, Princess Diana, who unwittingly engaged with an imposter during a covert operation by a British publication in 1995.
The photograph capturing Diana holding hands with the undercover journalist posing as a wealthy businessman was widely condemned as a breach of royal decorum and a source of embarrassment.
Critics have drawn comparisons between Harry's misstep and his mother's lapse in judgment, cautioning him against further entanglement with Schoenberglipp, who could exploit their connection for personal gain and subject Harry to additional ridicule.
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