The British royal family are in their healing era, with huge steps being made to mend the relationship between Prince Harry, wife Meghan Markle and King Charles — but Prince William wants no part in it.
The grand family gestures began with Meghan Markle’s “Summer holiday” Instagram carousel, which is said to have included a sentimental dedication to Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
In one photo, Prince Harry is walking with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet while carrying bouquets of white flowers. The photo was reportedly taken at Althorp, Diana’s childhood home and her final resting place, prompting speculation the family was on its way to lay flowers at her grave.
The family gesture comes as it’s being reported that Prince Harry has been offered a stay at Buckingham Palace during an expected visit to the UK in September. According to The Sun, King Charles may offer his 41-year-old son a room at the royal residence.
A royal source told Woman’s Day that this would be King Charles’ most dramatic attempt at reconciliation so far. “The fact he’s being afforded a room at Buckingham Palace is a huge gesture,” the insider said.
The olive branch follows Harry’s recent reunion with the King at Highgrove House. The meeting reportedly included Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, marking Charles’s first meeting with the whole family since 2022.
“It tells the world loud and clear that Charles wants his son to be truly welcomed back inside the fold and that all is essentially forgiven.”
View this post on Instagram
Despite the photo carousel’s sweet intentions, some are claiming it was just another Sussex PR trick. “A lot of aides think it’s a terrible idea on the King’s part to extend Harry yet another olive branch,” a source said.
“Time and again he and Meghan prove they’re not to be trusted – most recently with this ridiculous photo debacle – yet they continue to prosper and here’s Harry having the red carpet rolled out for him.”
‘King Charles is being exploited by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’
The people surrounding King Charles have serious concerns he is being hoodwinked by the controversial couple, says a royal insider. “His Majesty is being exploited and used by Harry and Meghan. Nobody deprives him the right to be on better terms with his son, but there’s a sense that this is moving far too quickly and ultimately Harry is playing his father like a fiddle,” the source said.
There are serious concerns that this could mean that Buckingham Palace will welcome back Harry’s wife Meghan, who famously accused the royal family of making racist comments about her unborn child in a televised Oprah interview.
“If Meghan does wind up accompanying him on this trip, it’ll really set the cat amongst the pigeons,” the source stated. “For a lot of royal staffers, the notion of her being allowed across the threshold doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Harry and Meghan famously announced they would step back as working royals on January 8, 2020. Their departure, widely dubbed ‘Megxit’, officially took effect on March 31, 2020. The couple then relocated to North America, eventually settling in California with their son, Prince Archie, before welcoming their daughter, Princess Lilibet.
In the past few years, the couple launched a Netflix documentary, TV interview and Harry published a memoir, Spare, which all took aim at the royal family.
It’s said that royal aides don’t believe the King is considering all the consequences of inviting Harry back to the Palace. “It’s as though Charles is willing to turn a blind eye to all of the Sussexes’ atrocious behaviour and wipe the slate totally clean, without pausing to consider the consequences if they do decide to go rogue and act up again,” the insider said.
William won’t welcome Harry back
As King Charles is set to welcome Prince Harry back into the royal fold, his eldest son is less enthused. Off the back of years of bitter infighting between the brothers, William is ‘furious’ that all is seemingly forgiven.
“William is trying not to overreact but the word is that he’s furious and struggling to understand his father’s decision,” the royal insider added.
“He still wants no part of any meet-up or peace talks with his brother and that’s unlikely to change between now and September.”
With this in mind, William is expected to be far away from Buckingham Palace in time for his brother’s arrival. “Assuming Harry does decide to stay at the Palace – and there’s no reason why he won’t – the overwhelming likelihood is that William will find a reason to be far away,” the source told Woman’s Day.
“He’s reluctantly accepted the fact he can’t stop his father from forging this new bond with Harry, but he’ll be damned if he’s going to be any part of it.”