Inside Harry’s ‘Desperate’ Attempts to Reconcile With the Royal Family Amid Reports He’s Worried William Will ‘Literally Banish’ Him Once He’s King
Reconciliation between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle and the rest of the British Royal family feels closer than ever. At the very least, there has been movement on the front for the first time in a while. King Charles’ aides met with Prince Harry’s recently, and though Prince William’s aides did not attend, Prince Harry’s latest BBC interview indicates he’s looking to reconcile with both his father and his brother.
At the center of this possible reconciliation, the Invictus Games, which are set to take place in the UK in 2027. Recent reports indicate Prince Harry is set to extend an invitation to his family as a way to bridge the gap. But some people aren’t convinced Prince William is ready to accept an olive branch.
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Princess Diana’s former butler, Paul Burrell, told Express.co.uk, “I think that The King and the Prince of Wales have enough charity events to go to, so I think they wouldn’t have to go to the Invictus Games.” He continued, “This is Harry’s baby, not The King’s and not William’s. I think they shouldn’t go to support Harry in this venture. This is Harry’s concern, not theirs.”
He also said, “A public show of support, at this time, is probably not on the cards. I doubt whether William would embrace Harry in public at this moment in time, or even ever again.”
This comes after Mail on Sunday reported that Prince Harry was “hopeful” his family would attend the next Invictus Games. “Harry has agreed that Invictus should extend an invitation to his family,” a source told the outlet. “Invictus hopes the Royal Family will come along to support the wounded veterans taking part.”
With a possible reconciliation in the cards, things might change quickly. But the fact that Prince William’s aides weren’t present as the King and Prince Harry’s aides met indicates there are still fences to be mended there. Royal biographer Tom Bower recently told The Mirror, “Harry is seriously worried that when his father dies one day, William will literally banish him and he will have no status in Britain at all. He will be persona non grata.”
Bower also added that Prince Harry’s “desperate” to fix his relationship with King Charles. The Invictus Games might play into that, as he said that Harry “needs a meeting with Charles to show he is part of the Royal Family and to establish his credibility in Britain. But as long as the Palace won’t give him access to Charles, he can’t take the first step. They suspect that the moment he meets Charles, he will use it to establish his credibility, because that’s what he desperately needs, and that’s also why he’s kept away.”
Prince William was reportedly not happy about the meeting that is being referred to as the first step for reconciliation between King Charles and Prince Harry. “It’s no coincidence that William and Catherine did not have a representative at the Royal Over-Seas League. They were not asked to send anyone, and will be treating the talks with extreme caution. The fact that it ended up in the newspapers tells you all you need to know,” a friend of William and Kate told the Daily Mail.
This all seems pretty clear for now, but with two years to go, a lot could change from now until the next Invictus Games.
