Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s reunion with King Charles may not have been the victory fans had hoped for, a royal expert has claimed.
On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to visit King Charles and Queen Camilla at the monarch’s private home, Highgrove House in Gloucestershire.
The visit marked the first time King Charles, 77, had seen Meghan, 44, or his grandchildren since 2022, and Buckingham Palace described it as a “private family occasion”.
“This wasn’t a surrender—it was a grandfather wanting to see his grandchildren. People are confusing compassion with capitulation,” a royal source told journalist Rob Shuter, who warned his readers not to “believe the hype”.
“If Buckingham Palace wanted the world to see this as a reconciliation, there would have been a picture. The fact that there wasn’t tells you everything you need to know.
“The institution didn’t blink. Charles acted as a father and a grandfather, not as the head of the monarchy negotiating terms.”
While Prince Harry, 41, and his family were visiting the King, Prince William steered clear and was playing a polo match less than two hours away.
The brothers remain estranged, and it has been reported that William was “furious” the Sussexes were welcomed back into Charles’ home last week.
“It’s my understanding that William is furious about (the meeting),” TalkTV host Mark Dolan told Sky News Australia.
“It’s a reward for the treachery, the disloyalty, and the cruelty of Harry and Meghan.
“Charles wants to see his grandchildren; I understand that, but I think that Harry and Meghan had no right to be on a royal property, but they got their way as usual.”
Last week, Prince Harry attended a number of public engagements, including a one-year countdown event for the Invictus Games 2027 in Birmingham.
It had been reported that Meghan would join her husband for a number of public appearances, but this plan was scrapped at the last minute due to security concerns.
The Sussexes were denied taxpayer-funded police protection during the trip, which meant Meghan pulled out of a scheduled appearance at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and only joined Harry for the last few days of his visit.
The long-planned UK visit had been intended to promote the Invictus Games, but was overshadowed by drama from the start.
Shortly before he arrived, the duke’s spokesperson announced he had accepted an invitation to stay at Buckingham Palace, only for the Palace to swiftly issue a counter-statement that the offer had been withdrawn.
Then, on Tuesday, Harry’s appearance at an Invictus event coincided with his crushing court defeat against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL).
The Duke of Sussex, along with six other high-profile figures, including Sir Elton John and Elizabeth Hurley, had every one of their 97 claims rejected by a judge after they accused journalists of unlawful information gathering.
Mr Justice Nicklin said the claimants failed to prove any of the allegations and accepted that every article in question was lawfully sourced, which Prince Harry declared was a “complete and obvious whitewash”.