Meghan Markle is thought to be ‘a threat’ to Prince Harry’s potential reunion with his family (Image: undefined)
Prince Harry’s trip to the UK this week holds the power to transform the trajectory of his and wife Meghan‘s family dynamics for generations ahead.
The Duke of Sussex, who celebrates his 41st birthday this week, is in London for the annual WellChild Awards, though many speculate a direct encounter with his alienated father, King Charles, might also be planned. If this happened it would mark the first occasion the King, 76, has shared space with his younger son in over 18 months.
However, Royal biographer Tom Bower warns this represents “a meeting full of peril”. “Harry has a huge mountain to overcome,” Tom explains. “On a human basis, he used to get on very well with Charles, so particularly from Harry’s perspective, he needs reconciliation. But time is not on their side.
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It’s alleged that Meghan Markle could be a ‘threat’ to a potential reunion for Harry with the royal family (Image: undefined)
“There would be huge levels of emotion involved if they meet. Whatever Charles is facing, he would much prefer to have a good relationship with his son, so I’m sure he wants reconciliation. But he must bear in mind that he’s dealing with someone who could sabotage everything and embarrass him enormously.”
Meghan, meanwhile, remains in Montecito, California, and, according to Tom, feels secure knowing she and their children continue to be Harry’s “priority”, reports the Mirror.
Harry and Charles last shared company when the Duke of Sussex rushed to the UK for merely 24 hours after his father revealed his cancer diagnosis. After touching down at Heathrow Airport on February 6, 2024, he headed directly to Clarence House and held private discussions with Charles for approximately thirty minutes. He departed for the US the following morning.
Prince Harry has hinted at wanting to reconcile with his father and brother (Image: BBC)
Chances for them to reconnect since then have been scarce – and complicated by the reality that most of Harry’s UK visits during this period were for appearances at London’s High Court in his security battle.
He was, essentially, challenging his father’s government in a bid to overturn the ruling that he, Meghan and their children weren’t eligible for taxpayer-funded protection while on British territory. According to Tom, the apparent “dangers” of Harry and Charles having any direct contact during that period were simply too significant.
“The fear with the court case was that Harry could invent something the King said about the case – and it would cause a constitutional crisis,” Tom claims. “That fear has prevented any meeting until now, but even now the case is over, the fear still remains.”
Harry himself has made it abundantly clear that while his main focus remains in California with his wife and children, he would welcome mending relations with his family in the UK – especially his father.
In May, after his High Court loss, he spoke openly about the divide, stating, “I would love a reconciliation with my family. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff… but it would be nice to reconcile.”
While Harry’s words were undoubtedly heartfelt, numerous Royal observers suspected that being so candid – especially regarding the King’s health – would have caused more damage than benefit.
It probably reinforced concerns that the duke cannot be relied upon to uphold the standard of discretion that’s typically essential within “The Firm”, Tom argues, and this continues to be Harry’s greatest obstacle.
Penning his autobiography Spare while his grandmother Elizabeth II was still alive – though it wasn’t published until following her passing – and incorporating what Tom describes as “deeply disloyal and possibly dishonest” stories is the primary reason he’s “no longer trusted” and “has only enemies in the palace”.
“The obstacle Harry is confronting is enormous, to somehow convince his father that what he did is in the past,” Tom argues. “I think he will be too stubborn to apologise, because that’s not what he believes, he thinks he has behaved correctly. He simply doesn’t realise the consequences of what he has done.
“The question Charles will be asking is, ‘Can I trust my son?’ and, from Harry’s side, he will be focused on persuading his father he can be trusted, because he has to find a way back into Britain.”
Earlier, Harry has expressed his concerns about bringing Meghan, 44, and their children, Archie, six, and Lilibet, four, to the UK, referencing security risks. Former Royal correspondent Jennie Bond shared with OK!
that Prince Harry is unlikely to meet his father, Prince Charles, without the support of Meghan Markle, but any reconciliation could put her in a tough spot.
Harry is reported to be meeting with his father while in the UK (Image: Getty Images)
Jennie explained that the Duchess of Sussex felt “unsettled and unhappy in her royal life”, making the idea of revisiting aspects of her past life potentially unwelcome.
“It would be natural for her to feel somewhat threatened by her husband being drawn back into the royal circle,” Jennie shared. “So, I think she would have conflicting emotions about Harry meeting his father, if this is indeed on the cards.
“I’m sure, though, that they would have discussed it, and that Harry would not go ahead if he did not have his wife’s support. I think it’s too early for the prince to involve Meghan and the children in any reconciliation.”
There has been no official statement from either party regarding a potential meeting. Tom predicts that any interaction between Charles and Harry would also require Prince William’s approval.
While a reconciliation between the feuding brothers seems “unlikely to ever happen”, he suggests that the Prince of Wales is unlikely to obstruct Harry’s path.
“Because of Charles’s health, William won’t stand in the way of them meeting, it would be inhuman,” Tom tells us. “Camilla is also clearly sympathetic towards Charles, and I think she could brush aside some of the awful things Harry has said about her in Spare and his interviews. It’s not important for her emotionally other than the effect on Charles, and that is clearly something she’s taking into account.”
Harry has had an estranged relationship from relatives in recent years (Image: Getty Images)
Speculation about a potential reconciliation intensified after July’s gathering between top officials from the King’s office and delegates from Harry and Meghan’s media team.
California-based Meredith Maines, from the Sussexes’ PR squad, and her UK colleague Liam Maguire were captured on camera at a private members’ club balcony in London alongside Tobyn Andreae, the King’s communications secretary, engaged in what sources described as “secret peace talks”.
Unavoidable – and thus far unresolved – questions emerged about how the photographer obtained knowledge of the gathering, with Harry reportedly “frustrated” by the disclosure.
However, should Charles and Harry actually meet face-to-face this week, that staff encounter will merely become a minor detail in what many believe remains an extensive and intricate saga. “If they meet, it is a beginning but there is a long way to go towards repairing relations to anything close to normal,” Tom claims.
“Charles and Harry will hope they can speak, but the elephant in the room is what has happened since he and Meghan stepped down. It will need a few meetings to get the atmosphere down.”
Meanwhile, Meghan has remained largely quiet about the family upset since her and Harry’s Netflix documentary series in 2022, concentrating instead on building her As Ever lifestyle brand.
It’s thought the growth of Meghan’s business and Netflix series might see her further away from the family (Image: PA)
But while she continues to grow her business – with the help of her own Netflix series, With Love, Meghan – and raise Archie and Lilibet in California, Harry is somewhat torn, Tom says.
“I am convinced Harry’s priority is his wife and children, and he will have made that clear. But he’s faced with a dreadful dilemma, in that his wife doesn’t want to come back to Britain, but he is desperate to rebuild roots in Britain.
“He has split loyalties and split ambitions. The choice is between the Devil and the deep blue sea.”