A truce between the King and Prince Harry could be just weeks away. After their aides met for peace talks that could hopefully lead to the rift between the pair being healed. But while His Majesty’s second son is said to be keen to mend fences with his dad. He apparently has no desire to patch things up with his brother Prince William.
Harry makes a move
Royal sources say California-based Harry, 40, gave the go-ahead for two members of his team to meet with one of the King’s aides in London last week. Harry’s team didn’t invite any of William’s staff to the get-together at an exclusive club near Buckingham Palace.
“Harry’s ready to talk to his father, but there’s been no contact between his team and William’s,” says an insider.
The meeting saw Harry’s chief communications officer Meredith Maines, who is also head of the Sussex household. And his UK PR agent Liam Maguire sit down with the King’s communications secretary Tobyn Andreae at the Royal Over-Seas League.
A source says the three met ostensibly to discuss Harry’s plans to visit the UK in September. For the annual awards ceremony for WellChild, a charity of which he is patron. Sources say the group aimed to avoid media clashes and scheduling conflicts during Harry’s trip. Held in the same month the King will be hosting US President Donald Trump on a state visit, but there was “no formal agenda,” says the insider.
“There were things both sides wanted to talk about.”
No talks of duty
The trio apparently spoke about ways of trying to end the falling out between father and son. But did not touch on a potential return to royal duties for Harry. The fact that their representatives met is
an encouraging sign.
“There’s a long road ahead,” says the source.
“A channel of communication is now open for the first time in years.”
Another palace insider says it was a “significant moment” and the strongest indication yet of the determination on both sides to resolve the bitter feud. That’s entirely possible if Harry promises to stop attacking the family and “giving endless rounds of broadcast interviews as his only way of communication”.
‘There may be a way forward for him to begin repairing his relationship’
“If there is a period of calm and reflection on the part of the Duke of Sussex. Then there may be a way forward for him to begin along the road of repairing his relationship with his father,” says the insider.
A long awaited reunion
The so-called peace summit may also lead to Harry seeing his father for the first time in 18 months. When he heads to the UK in September. In February last year, he flew to London to visit the King, 76, after his cancer diagnosis was revealed.But they spent just 30 minutes together.
Harry did not see his dad when he went back to the UK a couple of months later for the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. At the time, a spokesman for Harry said a meeting between the pair was not possible due to the King’s “full programme”. The duke understood that his father had commitments and hoped to see him soon.
But Harry then appeared to torpedo any chance of a reconciliation by doing an interview with the BBC earlier this year. In which he said Charles wouldn’t speak to him over his fight with the government to get police security when he’s in Britain.
He revealed that he had “forgiven” his family and wanted to reconcile with them. But said it was up to the King. He also said he didn’t know how long his father had left to live. In the same interview, he also mentioned many disagreements with “some of my family” and that “they may never forgive me for writing a book”.
Brotherly rift runs deep
He appeared to be talking about William, 43. Who’s said to still be angry with his brother over disparaging comments Harry made about the family. Including William’s wife Catherine, Princess of Wales, in Spare and in the interview he and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, 43, did with Oprah Winfrey.
Royal writer Matt Wilkinson says William is waiting for Harry to apologise. But has at least made gestures in the past, such as inviting Harry and Meghan to join him and Kate, 43. To view the flowers left by the public at Windsor Castle in the days after the death of their grandmother, the Queen.
Now it’s up to Harry to take the next step, but as a senior palace aide says. Harry’s relationship with his brother “is one he will find much harder to repair”.
