Harry’s homecoming depends on one man – and that’s the problem

Anger abated and almost remorseful, the return of the Duke of Sussex to royal favour has finally moved into the realm of the possible. But as the King warms to the idea of a reconciliation, there is still one massive hurdle to overcome. Tessa Dunlop reports.

The images – obtained by the Daily Mail – spark speculation about an end to the royal rift. Senior aides to the King and Duke of Sussex have been pictured together in London, in what is reported to be an initial step towards restoring the relationship between Harry and the rest of the royal family. Images obtained by the Mail on Sunday show Meredith Maines, the duke’s chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who runs Harry and Meghan’s UK public relations team, meeting the King’s communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae, at the Royal Over-Seas League near Clarence House. The Mail reports it is not known which side initiated the meeting, but a source told the paper: “There’s a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in years.”

The private meeting between two of Prince Harry’s top aides and a senior member of King Charles’ team may mark the first step in a long-overdue thaw between the estranged father and son. That’s the view of insiders, who see the quiet gathering as a crucial “first step” in what could be a long road toward reconciliation between Harry, 40, and Charles, 76 – whose years-long rift has left communication between them all but nonexistent.

A softer, forgiving King, and a happier Harry, (who I suspect still covets the half-in, half-out role he mooted five years ago), is an infinitely more appealing prospect than the current cold war status. But emotionally it is not a one-way street, and the Prince of Wales would be foolish to take his familial cues from the unbending social strictures of a bygone era. Today, William sits at the heart of Britain’s most revered institution (and in the face of recent domestic adversity enjoys enormous public sympathy) but moods can change. As a nation, no matter how much we verbally kick Harry, affections run deep. Beneath it all, what really rankled was the Sussexes’ rejection of our most revered institution. Likewise, William surely knows that one day he must rediscover his affection for his younger sibling. Protected by a pre-ordained sovereign destiny, the longer he withholds the olive branch, the more churlish it could start to look.

At the moment King Charles is Harry’s best hope. And even then, a Sussex return to the sunlit uplands of royalty may well prove short-lived. Charles, then a newish King, ducked a face-to-face haranguing from the Duke of Sussex, who subsequently concluded his father wouldn’t speak to him “because of this security stuff. But it would be nice to reconcile”. This context explains the recent “peace summit” papped on the balcony of an exclusive London club, involving key players from both royal parties, including Meredith Maines, the communications officer for the Sussex “household”, who was in London to work contacts on their behalf. She also happens to be the same woman who set up Harry’s BBC interview in May, the one where he fronted the idea of a potential reconciliation.

Even when this is cast through the prism of three well-paid execs – Liam Maguire, Harry’s PR in Britain, was also present on the balcony – when it comes to the King, Harry will always revert to his most childish self, gleefully abusing the presumption that parental love is (almost) unconditional. And while his recent wilful testing of that paternal bond has proved challenging, it is ultimately forgivable. More than anyone, the King understands the power of redemption. Look at how the British public have forgiven Charles down the years. Mistakes happened. All too often, we hurt those closest to us. So far, so good; the road ahead is long and not straightforward, but it is hopeful. More broadly, better relations mean improved optics for both parties (in that context, the leaked meeting is not surprising).

However, when it comes to royal relations, a (crucial) third party was significantly absent from the balcony. Subsequently, the Prince and Princess of Wales have reportedly been less than impressed with a “peace summit” about which they knew nothing. Ouch. While Kate was single-handedly winning Wimbledon in exquisite sartorial style (her Princess England vibe neatly offsetting Meghan’s Little Miss California), beneath the surface, all has not been forgiven. William still bears a grudge – can you blame him?

The rift between the Sussexes and the royal family widened significantly following their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, during which they alleged a member of the family was concerned about their son Archie’s skin tone before he was born. Then the duke claimed in his controversial memoir, Spare, that his brother, the Prince of Wales, had physically attacked him and that the King put his own interests above Harry’s and was jealous of Meghan. Harry’s level of security changed in 2020 when he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and moved to California for financial and personal freedom. He later suggested the royal family and officials hoped his realisation of the increased safety risk “would force us to come back”. The Duke failed in an appeal against the dismissal of his High Court claim against the Home Office, over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK.

In a BBC television interview after losing the latest round in his court battle over his security, Harry claimed the King will not speak to him and he does not know “how much longer my father has” as he spoke of his hopes for a “reconciliation” with his family. Charles was diagnosed with cancer in February last year.

In May, Harry reaffirmed his hope for healing, telling the BBC that the door to “reconciliation” remains open from his side. “I would love reconciliation with my family,” he said. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.” His comments came shortly after he lost a key legal battle over his request for official security for himself and his family – a decision he has partly blamed on his father. (The palace has consistently maintained that King Charles does not have control over that process.)