All The Rumors Surrounding Prince Harry's Upcoming 'Peace Talks' With The Royal Family
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tied the knot in 2018, their wedding seemingly marked a new era for the royal family. Harry was already well-loved by the Brits, and Meghan was a breath of fresh air. She was professionally ambitious, American, a woman of mixed race, a vocal advocate — if any couple were to shake things up in a traditional system, it was going to be them. But, as we all know, things between the Sussexes and the rest of the royals started to sour.
By January 2020, the couple's relationship with the institution was seemingly at a boiling point, with Harry and Meghan making the announcement that they were stepping back from their roles as senior royals. However, the war between the firm and the couple had only really just begun.
Since leaving their positions, Harry and Meghan have not been quiet about their experiences within the royal family. From their tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey to their expository Netflix docuseries to Harry's bombshell book "Spare," the couple has left little unsaid, and their relationship with the royals has only continued to fracture. However, as of this writing, reports of "peace talks" between Harry and King Charles III have surfaced, leading royal watchers to wonder if a truce is around the corner.
Harry and Meghan pushed Charles 'right to the limit,' according to one royal expert
If you're struggling to keep up with the timeline between Prince Harry and his drama with the royal family, you aren't alone. As of publication, the last time Harry was in the United Kingdom was for King Charles III's coronation, and that was a quick visit that didn't materialize into any productive conversations. As for Meghan Markle, she has not come back to Britain since the queen's death, indicating that there is some serious distance between the couple and the firm.
As far as Charles Rae, former royal editor of The Sun, sees things, the couple has forced the king "right to the limit." Rae told TalkTV, "They've had their HRH titles [His and Her Royal Highness] stripped from the royal family website." While some may think this was too extreme, Rae has a different view. "You can only push someone like King Charles so far, and Harry and Meghan have pushed him right to the limit. It's only right that they are now ostracized," he carried on, adding that Harry has "made his bed, now he has to lie in it.
The father and son reportedly spoke ahead of the coronation
Prince Harry and King Charles III may be on their way to making peace, but this may not be the father and son's first attempt. Ahead of Charles' coronation in May 2023, a royal insider told The Times that a sit-down between Harry and his father would likely take place before the big day, noting that physical proximity would be key.
"It's going to take flexibility on all sides, but it can be done, it's fixable. It needs Harry over here, in the room with the king and Prince of Wales, a couple of other family members, some of 'his people' he trusts who always had his back, so he doesn't think he's being ambushed," the source said at the time.
Harry and his father apparently did get the opportunity to speak prior to the coronation, according to The Telegraph; however, despite "positive conversations" between the Duke of Sussex and King Charles, Prince William was reportedly against reconciliation. Taking issue with Harry's memoir, "Spare," and the number of personal details he shared within its pages and amid his Netflix docuseries, "Harry & Meghan," the Prince of Wales was livid with his brother, sources close to the family told The Telegraph.
A September reunion may be in the works
Ahead of the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death, whispers about what the royals will do to commemorate her have been floating around. Although specifics are not publicly known, as of this writing, one thing seems certain — Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be there. The couple will be in Germany for the Invictus Games at the time of the anniversary. While they will be in Europe, an insider told The Sun, "There hasn't been any outreach [from the palace] to them."
Nevertheless, Harry has reportedly made headway with his father. He and King Charles III are set to meet up while he's in Europe, a source told OK! Magazine. "King Charles is due to return to London from Balmoral in the middle of September which ties in with the end of Harry's Invictus Games trip to Dusseldorf," the source alleged. "The king has a rescheduled official visit to France on September 20 so has a few days to spare in London to meet with his son. Staff are trying to fine-tune the details as we speak."
Harry and Charles' conversation will mark their first talk in months
Although Prince Harry and King Charles III may be planning to meet up in September, they have not actually spoken to each other in person for months. The last time Harry ventured to Britain was for his father's coronation in May 2023, and though his presence was certainly felt, Harry didn't speak to the king during the event — nor was he seated anywhere close to facilitate conversation.
According to The Telegraph, Harry got "in and out of the monarchy's headquarters briefly without seeing the royal family." And, after just 24 hours of being in the country, he headed back to the airport. A source later told The Telegraph that Harry's father was disappointed that they didn't have any shared time together, but the duke was determined to make it home for his son's birthday.
Although sources allege that they spoke ahead of the event, their communication has been spotty, to say the least. As Harry shared on "60 Minutes" in January 2023, he and Charles "haven't spoken for quite a while."
Charles has one caveat related to the renewed peace talks
King Charles III has reportedly made his expectations clear, gearing up for the big day when he and his son make peace. While the conversation has the potential to get heated, given everything that has taken place between Harry and the royals, Charles has a caveat already in place.
An insider told OK! Magazine that the king is still "mortally wounded" by Harry's actions, especially related to the candid personal stories he shared in his bombshell memoir, "Spare." As such, Charles is heading into the meeting expecting Harry to keep "private family business" behind closed doors from — his success in getting Harry to agree will develop in time.
"He will always be there for him but draws the line at public slanging matches," the source said. "If the talks take place, the king will make it very clear that there will be absolutely no private family business discussed in public moving forward."
Meghan isn't expected to be included in the conversation
Meghan's standing with the royal family is just as bad as Harry's (if not worse), leading royal watchers to wonder if she'll be in attendance for her husband and father-in-law's conversation. While it's possible, the source who spoke with OK! Magazine said it is "highly unlikely" — even though she will be in Germany with Harry. The last time she interacted with the royals was during Queen Elizabeth II's mourning period, and even that didn't go particularly smoothly.
This wouldn't be the first time that Meghan has gotten the cold shoulder. A source told The Sun shortly following the queen's death that Charles made it clear Meghan was not welcome at Balmoral Castle to say goodbye to the long-reigning monarch. "Charles told Harry that it wasn't right or appropriate for Meghan to be in Balmoral at such a deeply sad time," the source said at the time. "It was pointed out to him that [Princess Catherine] was not going and that the numbers really should be limited to the very closest family. Charles made it very, very clear Meghan would not be welcome."
The two certainly have a lot to talk about, thanks in no small part to Harry's book
Prince Harry and King Charles III certainly have a lot to discuss when they meet in September, but of all the concerns, Harry's comments about Camilla, Queen Consort, are said to be at the center of Charles' ire. According to an insider who spoke to The Daily Beast about the upcoming peace talks, the king took particular issue with the way Harry characterized Camilla in his book, "Spare," claiming in his pages that she "had sacrificed [Harry] on her personal PR altar."
Suggesting that Camilla would hand negative stories to the royal rota about Harry in order to boost her own public image, Harry wrote in his bombshell memoir that his stepmother was a "villain" who left "bodies in the street," so to speak. Naturally, Charles was displeased by this metaphor, but will he tell that to Harry? We'll have to wait and see.
As for Camilla, she's said to have taken a lot of Harry's revelations in stride. "It was not stamping of feet or gnashing of teeth, it was much more of an eye-roll response," a palace aide told The Times of the queen consort's reaction to "Spare." Close friend Fiona Shelburne further noted of Camilla, "Of course it bothers her, of course it hurts. But she doesn't let it get to her."
Prince Harry could be invited to a royal event after the big talk
Reports regarding peace talks have suggested September 17 as the date to watch. The timing is certainly interesting — and not just because Prince Harry will be in Europe and King Charles commemorating the one-year anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death. The talks will also come just a couple of months before Charles' 75th birthday, an occasion that Harry may be invited to attend — though we imagine that would depend on how the big convo goes.
If he is invited, Meghan will likely be too, although she may not attend, royal expert Angela Levin told GB News. In her stead, he could bring with him a very special guest, possibly to ease the tension. "He could go on his own and bring Archie with him," Levin revealed. "He's a big boy now, and he could see his cousins. Charles would want Harry and Meghan's children there." As of this writing, Prince Archie is 4 years old, while his little sister, Princess Lilibet, is 2. Both have remained largely stateside during their childhoods.
One expert has claimed that the peace talks between Harry and Charles is a PR stunt
Is the purpose of King Charles III and Prince Harry's peace talk truly to find common ground, or is it a public display of effort to keep the firm in the headlines? According to public relations expert Matt Yanofsky, the idea of peace talks between father and son is nothing more than a stunt in their never-ending "soap opera," designed to keep the royal family relevant and in public conversation.
"Only the men in that room know what will happen, but from a public relations standpoint, the royal family depends on storylines to stay in the news, especially when the public's approval of the royals is in decline," he told The Mirror. His estimation is not unfounded. According to YouGov polling, Charles' approval rating sits at 55%, and he is firmly behind Prince William, Princess Anne, and Princess Catherine. Camilla, Queen Consort, falls in the No. 9 spot with a 42% approval rating, followed by Harry with a measly 27% favorable rating.
"This is another story point ... which is great for the entire family (and the viewers at home)," Yanofsky further explained, asserting that the anticipated conversation is nothing more than a show of good faith.
When it comes to his son, Charles is reportedly 'keen to heal that rift'
King Charles III is ready and willing to work things out with Prince Harry, royal expert Richard Palmer told Geo News. He explained further, saying, "But, it's obviously very raw at the moment and it's very noticeable. While I'd say he's keen to heal that rift, he hasn't met his son the last two times he's been over to the U.K."
Charles has remained rather mum on the subject of his son and his absence from royal life, but he did offer a rather strained answer in February 2023 when asked if Harry would ever be welcomed back. "Bring back Harry please, can you please bring him back please, sir?" a man pleaded with the king during a walkabout at the University of East London's Stratford campus. "Who?" Charles responded, to which the man said, "Harry, your son." "It would be nice," Charles retorted, offering one of his only statements about his youngest son.
William may stand in the way of the peace talks actually happening
Royal watchers will be eagerly awaiting updates come September 17. However, the status of the conversation could be up in the air thanks to Prince William, who is said to be adamantly against any attempt at civility between his brother and father. After the initial report was offered by OK! Magazine confirming upcoming peace talks, Daily Beast royal correspondent Tom Sykes estimated that there is "no chance" that William would allow a heart-to-heart given everything that has happened over the years.
A friend of William's further estimated that the Prince of Wales is adamant about thwarting the conversation, noting to The Daily Beast, "[William] feels utterly betrayed by what Harry wrote about him in the book and said about him on Netflix," referring to "Spare" and the "Harry & Meghan" docuseries. It would not be the first time that William stepped in to guide a conversation regarding Harry, according to royal reporter Robert Jobson.
In his book, "Our King: Charles III: The Man and the Monarch Revealed," Jobson revealed that William was particularly livid after Harry's sit-down with Oprah Winfrey, writing, "In the aftermath of the Oprah interview, William went to his father and told him that the Royal Family needed a clear strategy in dealing with the Sussexes, the renegade royals. He became a key figure in the ongoing conversations between the queen and Charles on how to counter the 'groundless' verbal attacks. ... Neither [Charles or William] felt they could fully trust him again and they decided not to meet him alone in [the] future."