Prince Harry had high hopes for his big return to the UK, including a peaceful family reunion where he’d get to watch his father, the King, finally get to embrace his two grandkids.
Instead, the Duke of Sussex, 41, was rejected by Buckingham Palace, shunned by his older brother and lost his four-year privacy case against a British tabloid all in the space of one disastrous week.
Now a royal insider tells Woman’s Day the tumultuous ordeal has left his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, so infuriated that she’s vowing to leave the Windsors firmly in their past. Sadly for Charles, 77, that could mean no more chances to see his youngest grandchildren, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.
“She’s told Harry there’s nothing for them in the UK and she’s drawing a red line on any kind of future reunion,” our source reveals. “They’re navigating the world with minimal support from that family,
and just doing their best to keep Archie and Lilibet safe. It’s atrocious for the royals to not be on the same page.”
Meghan draws the line
For Meghan, 44, who already felt ill will towards the royals after the family’s dramatic exit, the palace reneging on their offer to host Harry during this latest trip was the final straw.
“This was one insult too many,” another insider spills. “She believes every time he reaches out to his family, they find another way to reject him. As far as she’s concerned, she’ll never see them again.”
According to several accounts, Charles had been clinging to the hope that by mending his relationship with Harry, he will eventually get to know his kids, who are being raised in California. He last saw Archie and Lili in 2022, when the princess was too young to even remember him.
Reports late last week claimed an emotional Charles was “frantically” trying to make time in his schedule for Harry and his family, but it could be too little too late in Meghan’s eyes.
Our source says, “She’s not going to let this humiliation slide. She knows Charles wants to see Archie and Lilibet – the offer to stay in the palace only came when he thought they were coming. She’s now backtracking on letting Charles have access to them. She’s banking on the children being his weakness.”
Harry hits breaking point
In the months leading up to his London return and even during his five-day stay, Harry had been open to a reunion with his father and estranged big brother, the Prince of Wales. Given how quickly the visit fell apart, we’re told the disheartened duke is now starting to see where his defiant wife is coming from with her suggestion that they move on with their lives.
“Harry’s humiliated, not just by the royal rejections, but also that his family simply does not care,” our insider says. “The security nightmare forced Meghan to stay away from even the Invictus events because it was too risky with the children. He can’t comprehend that his dad and brother aren’t as worried about their safety as he is.
“Harry has never felt so isolated, so this rejection has cut deep. He’s just as disillusioned and resentful as Meghan, and is starting to not care so much if Archie and Lilibet ever set foot in England again.
While he’s not entirely comfortable about Meghan’s push to ban his dad from seeing his kids, he’s all but given up on a reconciliation.”
Those in the know say the Sussex kids have had such a limited connection to their grandad, they “don’t really have any concept” of his status as King. And if Meghan has her way, that’s how things will stay for the foreseeable future.
“She’s done,” a source says. “She has no interest in ever putting herself or her children through this again.”
Elton to the rescue!
As Harry dealt with the chaos of his few days in London, his wife Meghan and their young kids were supposedly seeking refuge at Sir Elton John’s hideaway in the South of France.
The singer, 79, has been a good friend to Harry through his darkest days and an insider tells us he was a strong source of support in his stressful security battle to keep Meghan, Archie and Lilibet safe.
“Elton made a promise to Princess Diana that he’d always look out for Harry and William,” our source says, adding that the music icon may also help Harry out with the estimated $115 million legal costs from his failed court case against the Daily Mail.
“Elton feels like a surrogate father for Harry, but bankrolling him and Meghan is going to be a problem, even for one of the world’s richest singers. They’re crying poor, so there’s a level of panic among Elton’s team that they’re going to have to cough up.”
