Now that Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan have official launched their foundation Archewell, and its accompanying podcast, the couple have made clear what their focus will be in 2021. On the landing page of their foundation's website, they posted a letter that reads, in part, "Together, we can choose courage, healing, and connection. Together, we can choose to put compassion in action." As it turns out, their goals are in sync with the new president of the United States, Joe Biden.
In September, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex appeared together in a Time 100 video, they weighed in on the 2020 presidential race, urging Americans to vote in what Meghan described as "the most important election of our lifetime." At the time, Harry implored voters to reject "hate speech, misinformation, and online negativity," which was perceived as an implicit endorsement of the president-elect.
While the Sussexes' comments may have been interpreted as political, their relationship with the Bidens is deeply personal: Harry has had a friendship with incoming First Lady Dr. Jill Biden for nearly a decade. While Harry and Meghan's friendship with the former President and First LadyBarack and Michelle Obama is widely known, it's the prince's unlikely connection with Jill Biden that may prompt the duke and duchess to visit the White House now that Biden is being officially sworn in.
Read on to find out how their friendship began and what it could mean for Harry and Meghan in the future. And for more on the latest with the royal family, find out Why Prince William's COVID Diagnosis Could Spell Disaster For the Royals.
Dr. Biden and Harry bonded over their work with vets and military families.
MediaPunch Inc / Alamy Stock PhotoHarry and the former second lady have been friends for eight years, after meeting in May 2012 in Washington, D.C. at a reception for American and British wounded soldiers. At the time, Harry was still a working royal representing the Royal Family on the official visit.
"They liked each other immediately," an insider told Best Life. "It was their shared dedication to the military that helped forge their bond. The Duke spent a decade serving in the British Army, including two tours in Afghanistan, and Dr. Biden's late stepson, Beau Biden, was a major in the U.S. Army who served in Iraq. She worked tirelessly on behalf of military families during her time as second lady."
Joe Biden has joked about how close Jill and Harry are.
Mike Theiler / UPI / Alamy Stock PhotoIn 2014, Dr. Biden traveled to London (without her husband) to support Harry at the inaugural Invictus Games, where they were pictured laughing together during several events. At the time, her husband joked with a reporter from The Guardian about the pair's connection, saying, “My wife was with Prince Harry at the Invictus Games. And I read in The Guardian, or one of them, and it says—I’m paraphrasing—'everywhere Prince Harry went, he had this blonde woman on his arm.' The vice president’s wife! I’m a little worried here, you know what I mean?”
And for more recent updates on the Sussexes, check out Harry and Meghan Signal They May Be Ready to Give Up Their Royal Titles.
The Bidens have gone to the Invictus Games for years.
REUTERS / Alamy Stock PhotoIn 2016, both Bidens attended the Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida, where the then-vice-president continued wise-cracking about Harry. "Jill went to London for the last Games. She spent too much d*** time with Prince Harry," he joked.
The Bidens kept up their friendship with the prince after Obama and Biden left the White House and Trump was inaugurated as president in 2017. That same year, the couple flew to Toronto to attend the Invictus Games where they spent a great deal of time with the prince.
The event was also Harry and Meghan's first public engagement as a couple. And for a look back at their relationship, check out Harry and Meghan's Most Adorable Couple Moments.
And insiders say the Bidens and Sussexes could even start working together.
Paul Hennessy / Alamy Live NewsUp until now, Harry's visits with the Bidens were undertaken in an official capacity since the prince was then as a senior royal and meetings occurred at sanctioned events with the approval of the Royal Family and the U.K. government, but sources say that could change.
"Harry is extremely fond of the Bidens and Meghan has clearly demonstrated a desire to become politically active with causes in alignment with the incoming administration," a royal insider told Best Life. "These are people connected by friendship and shared values. With the election behind them, it makes sense they would come together to support one another. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bidens turned up on one of the inspirational programs Harry and Meghan are developing for Netflix." And for future updates on the royals and more, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Harry's friendship with the Bidens could further complicate the royals' non-political stance.
Euan Cherry / WENN Rights Ltd / Alamy Stock PhotoNow that the prince has stepped back from his official duties as a royal and is living in America, a public display of friendship or support for the Bidens would be done on a personal level (just as Buckingham Palace characterized his appearance with Meghan in that Time 100 video, saying "any comments [Harry] makes are made in a personal capacity"). So, it's no surprise the prince's representatives declined to comment on the current status of his relationship with the Bidens, when contacted by Insider.
With the country still furiously divided over the hard-fought election, Harry's relationship with the Bidens could provoke renewed allegations of partiality here and in the U.K. Given the outcry over Harry and Meghan's perceived breach of royal protocol by making any comments, however vague, about the U.S. presidential election, any public show of friendship could touch off more controversy. And for another royal controversy, check out Why Prince Harry's "Divorce" From the Royals Seems "Final," Insiders Say.
But insiders say that won't affect their closeness, especially since Harry reminds Biden of his late son.
DOD Photo / Alamy Stock PhotoInsiders say there is little chance the friendship between Harry and Joe and Jill Biden will fade. "Through Harry's friendship with Jill, he has gotten to know the president-elect and they like and respect one another. Mr. Biden sees some of the fine qualities his son Beau had in Harry and the duke likes Mr. Biden's down to earth manner and sense of humor," said my source. "No one wants to do anything that will cause more controversy for either couple, but there is no doubt there is a real connection there and it's not going away." And for more on what Harry and Meghan are up to these days, see how Harry and Meghan Have "Different Expectations" of Post-Royal Life.
Diane Clehane is a New York-based journalist and author of Imagining Diana and Diana: The Secrets of Her Style.
