bitchy | ‘Royal sources’ insist that King Charles might see Archie & Lili next year

There’s something so mindnumbingly stupid about the British press breathlessly quoting unnamed “royal sources” and “palace insiders,” all of whom have been armed with the exact same talking point this week: Prince Harry should keep silent about his meeting with his father, no briefings or interviews or leaks! It’s not that Charles and his team are worried about Harry’s words, it’s that THEY want to be the ones creating the narrative of the meeting and what it all means. Of course, they also want to silence Harry by any means necessary, but again, they want to brief against him 24-7, screaming about how HARRY is the one who can’t be trusted. That’s the whole thrust of Richard Eden’s latest column in the Daily Mail, which I’m not even going to excerpt. It’s just stupid, and I hate that these morons never acknowledge that their royal sources are doing exactly what they’re accusing Harry of. Speaking of, the Mail also ran this:

Prince Harry promised his father that he could be trusted to stay quiet about their private discussions before they met for the first time in more than 18 months, it can be revealed today. The Duke of Sussex spent 54 minutes having a cup of tea with King Charles at Clarence House in London on Wednesday.

A royal source has said that Harry is determined to ‘reset’ his relationship with his family, and the British people, after years of turmoil caused by Megxit – starting first with his father.

‘This is an important first step towards rebuilding their father-and-son relationship’, a royal insider told the Daily Mail today. ‘He has told his father he won’t be giving any interviews about it and his team have been instructed not to brief journalists about what was said. There’s a long way to go before Harry can earn his family’s trust but he’s given some assurances’.

Prince William did not attend Wednesday’s Clarence House meeting but will have been aware it was going to take place, it is understood. The Prince and Princess of Wales have been out at royal events all week – and on one occasion were only three miles away from Harry but chose not to meet. ‘William would have known that this was going to happen. It’s not clear how happy he is about it but, you know, sooner or later most families reach some sort of accommodation after a family rift’, the Mail’s source said.

[From The Daily Mail]

Re: Harry’s silence… what’s even funnier about this situation is that everything shifted after Harry went public in May. Harry had been silent about his father for months, but he spoke at length to the BBC in May after he lost his security case. That is what changed everything and that’s why Charles finally agreed to meet him. Harry better not talk, and if he does, we’ll organize another meeting as punishment!! Additionally, wouldn’t you know, another royal source told the Mail that a Sussex family visit could be in the cards for next year.

Prince Harry’s reconciliation meeting with his father is the first step towards his family returning to the UK for a visit next year, a royal source claimed today. The summit over tea at Clarence House last night could pave the way for Archie and Lilibet to visit their grandfather for the first time in more than three years.

‘The King wants to be a grandfather to his grandchildren so that’s an important pull. He was so pleased when they came over for Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee and he was able to spend some time with them,’ a royal source told the Daily Mail today. ‘It’s become clear that Harry now regrets some of his actions. He wants to reset his relationship with his family and with the people of the UK. It’s hard to see him ever coming back to live in Britain but this may be the start of something that at least allows them to be a functioning wider family again.’

But whether Meghan Markle will want to come with them remains another matter, the insider has said. Meghan hasn’t returned to the UK since the Queen’s death in September 2022.

Harry’s taxpayer-funded security was reduced after he and Meghan quit royal duties – sparking his legal battle with the Home Office – but the Sussexes would likely receive armed bodyguards when visiting the King. ‘There are all sorts of obstacles to that happening again because of Harry’s insistence that they have guaranteed armed police protection. But maybe there is a way of getting them over to Balmoral or Sandringham next year or another royal residence where they are within the security perimeter’, the insider said.

[From The Daily Mail]

The idea of Harry bringing his kids over but not his wife is a no-go. I suspect it will be rejected out of hand by Harry as well – if Charles wants to see Archie and Lili (a big “if” in my opinion), he needs to extend a full-throated invitation to Meghan as well AND guarantee security. Or else this is just another nasty maneuver to separate the Sussexes.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Netflix.