A royal analyst has said that King Charles "never closed the door" on his son Prince Harry, despite claims that he expects to "reconcile" the brothers next month at the Invictus Games.
The couple's relationship has soured since Prince Harry relocated to the United States with his bride Meghan Markle in 2020 and unleashed a series of attacks on the Royal Family in interviews and his biography Spare. There have been claims that the hatchet could be buried after Prince William and Princess Kate, the Prince and Princess of Wales, reportedly urged the Sussexes to bring their children with them on their next visit to the UK.
According to royal historian Richard Fitzwilliams, the King hoped to reconcile Prince Harry and Meghan when he returned to England. "The rift is very deep, as we all know the Sussexes for four years have attacked the Royal Family and William is naturally suspicious because he doesn't trust Harry,” he stated, as per GB News.
"With very good reason because of the attacks. However, given the fact that King Charles is undergoing treatment for cancer and given the fact that Catherine is seriously ill, preventative chemotherapy is, I should think, desperately stressful for him. If you made that courageous video message to the nation, will they get together? I suspect the answer to this lies in private talks privately that we don't know about,” Richard went on.
"So we know that William was in touch with Harry after the video message. The reports were the Sussexes didn't know of Catherine's condition before then. The facts are, however, that we simply don't know what's going to happen. But it is possible that since King Charles has never closed the door, since they're both his sons and since two senior members of the Royal Family are seriously ill, this presents an entirely new scenario. A new bridge,” the royal commentator added.
Prince Harry is set to return to Britain in May for an Invictus Games event, but whether his wife and children will accompany him remains uncertain. According to a source, the Duke of Sussex requested that his wife accompany him on his journey to Britain, saying, "I don't want to do this alone."
The informant added that Prince Harry told his wife that he did not want to "keep making solo trips to the UK.” The Duke of Sussex visited the UK shortly after his father, King Charles, was stricken with cancer in February.
Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet, stayed at home in California for the visit. "He [Harry] would prefer it if the entire family made regular visits to see his family and build bridges, but there is so much going on behind the scenes that it just isn't possible at the moment,” the insider continued.
Meanwhile, King Charles has been encouraged not to bring his youngest son, Prince Harry, and his family to Balmoral Castle in Scotland this summer, according to Express UK’s newest poll, which found that the vast majority of Brits oppose the notion.
The Duke of Sussex is expected to return home next month to speak at the Invictus Games 10th Anniversary Service, which will be held on May 8 at St. Paul's Cathedral. Despite the fact that the trip has not been officially confirmed, the duke is listed as a guest in the official service schedule.
According to one source, Prince Harry wishes to bring his family back with him, and another claims that the monarch is considering inviting Harry and Meghan Markle to spend time at Balmoral Castle this summer in order to spend more time with his grandchildren, Prince Archie, four, and Princess Lilibet, two.
The most recent poll revealed the majority of British people are opposed to King Charles extending an olive branch to his youngest son. Express.co.uk conducted a poll last week, asking readers whether King Charles should welcome Harry and Meghan Markle to Balmoral this summer.
From 12 p.m. on April 10 to 9 a.m. on April 11, 9,491 of our readers took the poll, with 89 percent (8,399 people) saying they don't think it's a good idea.
Another 9% (933 people) indicated they wanted the monarch to bring his children home with him, while 2% (159 people) said they didn't know. The duke's upcoming journey to Britain has recently been the subject of much debate, as he is torn between going alone and bringing more protection.
Earlier this week, a source stated that while the duchess had hoped to accompany her husband and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, she is now concerned for their safety after plans for their trip were leaked, leaving Harry with two options.
"It's now got to the point where Meghan doesn't want to come to the UK with the children. She just doesn't feel safe. The situation is now about whether the family should attend with increased security or Harry should go to it alone,” a tipster told New UK.
The source added Prince Harry made a seven-word plea to his wife, saying, "I don't want to do this alone."