An insider has spoken out about the meeting between senior aides to both the King and Prince Harry – and revealed what the summit in London means for future relations between father and son
A royal insider has offered fresh insight into the secret peace talks held between King Charles Prince Harry’s senior aides.
It has emerged that Harry’s chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who runs Harry and Meghan’s UK public relations team, met the King’s communications secretary Tobyn Andreae at the Royal Over-Seas League in London last week. The private member’s club is right by Clarence House – Charles’ London residence..
The meeting has been described by sources as informal, with casual drinks intended to open a channel of communication between both camps. It is unknown who exactly initiated the meeting.
And now, one royal insider has told PEOPLE magazine: “It was a good first step. It is always better to be talking.” They added: “It’s a positive step. There’s optimism that it can be taken forward.”
The rift between the Sussexes and the royal family opened 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, his brother Prince Willaim 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, and he 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.
Sources told the Mirror that the King would welcome a royal reunion with Harry – but only if he scales back his public attacks on the family and stops the “endless” interviews.
However, it’s feared that Harry’s fractured relationship with William is harder to repair after his memoir Spare revealed the two had a physical fight over his relationship with Meghan.
The source said: “The King has consistently shown he loves both his sons and as he has done in the past is prepared to meet Harry when their diaries allow such an occasion. It’s not unusual for aides from different households to meet, especially when there is a new influx of staff starting their roles, but of course, this is a significant moment.
“Senior members of the family have in the past said to Harry that he must both stop his attacks on the family as well as giving endless rounds of broadcast interviews as his only way of communication. 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.
“As for his relationship with his brother, that is a different matter entirely and one which he will find much harder to repair.”