Senior aides to the King and Duke of Sussex pictured together in London
Images obtained by the the Mail On Sunday show Meredith Maines, the duke's chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who runs Harry and Meghan's UK public relations team, meeting the King's communications secretary Tobyn Andreae at the Royal Over-Seas League near Clarence House.
The Mail reports it is not known which side initiated the meeting, but a source told the paper: 'There's a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in years.
'There was no formal agenda, just casual drinks. There were things both sides wanted to talk about.'
Both parties have been contacted for comment.
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 the Prince of Wales 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.
Charles was diagnosed with cancer in February last year.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
39 minutes ago
- The Sun
Trump shipping long-range missiles to Ukraine will change face of war' after ‘p****d' Don's patience with Putin runs out
THE long-range weapons Donald Trump is reportedly planning to send to Ukraine could deal a major blow to Russia, military experts told The Sun. Trump, who appears to be growing increasingly frustrated with tyrant Vladimir Putin, is set to announce an "aggressive' new weapons plan to support Ukraine. 10 10 10 He has promised to send MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems - which are used to stop incoming missiles - to Ukraine. But he has also suggested that the US would supply "very sophisticated" military hardware to Ukraine. Patriot rockets - which act as America's primary air defence system - were successfully used in the Middle East to shoot down missiles that Iran fired at a US airbase in Qatar. But the military package for Ukraine will also likely include long-range missiles that could reach targets deep inside Russian territory, two sources told Axios. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a decorated British Army commander, said the shipment of these long-range missiles would have profound "psychological and physical effects" on Ukraine. Mr de Bretton-Gordon told The Sun: "These weapons can strike Moscow - over 400 miles from the border. That allows the Ukrainians to strike drone factory production and ammunition sites, and others. "So this will have both psychological as well as physical effects. "People in Moscow will realise that they potentially could be targeted. Trump slams Putin's 'bulls***' and trashes the tyrant's 'meaningless' promises to end Ukraine war in savage attack "And when you also add to it the American bombings on Iranian sites that were supposed to be impregnable, it shows that American missile and drone technology rather superior to the Russian air defence system." The former army chief said these weapons will put real pressure on Russia, adding: "The metric has now changed and Trump's decision could make a huge difference." Ex-military intelligence officer Colonel Philip Ingram told The Sun how these long-range weapons could help strike Russian missile and drone launchpads - the ones that are used to launch nightly attacks on Ukraine. He said: "The Ukrainians are already attacking to hit Russian military logistics, defence industry bases. "And with these sophisticated weapons, they will have increased capability of doing so. "It will impact the ability of the Russians to prosecute these increasingly large drone and rocket attacks on a nightly basis. "And then that's the best way for the Ukrainians to stop it." Trump is now set to make a "major statement" on Russia - and is expected to reveal more details about the military package. More weapons that Kyiv could receive in the coming days include precision-guided GMLRS missiles and thousands of high-explosive Howitzer rounds. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham told Axios that he is "really p****d at Putin", and that the announcement is going to be really "very aggressive". 10 10 Trump reiterated that he was "very unhappy" with Putin since their phone call two weeks ago made no progress on the Ukraine peace deal - something the US president has pushed for since returning to power. Instead, Putin has snubbed peace and is instead steadily increasing his overnight bombing raids - which could soon hit 1,000 a day. Last week, Trump accused Putin of throwing "bullshit" at Washington on Ukraine and making "meaningless" promises. "We get a lot of bull**** thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth," Trump told reporters during a televised cabinet meeting at the White House. "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless." "We're going to send some more weapons [to Ukraine]. "We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves. They're hit very hard now." Moscow had no immediate reaction to Trump's strongly worded comments about Putin, but the Kremlin said that sending arms to Ukraine only serves to prolong the conflict. 10 10 "It is obvious of course that these actions probably do not align with attempts to promote a peaceful resolution," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying in a briefing. Putin, who himself proposed direct talks with Kyiv to end the war a few weeks ago, has now suggested that diplomacy will not help Moscow achieve its war goals. He has instead increased the intensity of his attacks - hammering Ukraine with almost daily drones and ballistic missile blitzes. Last week, the Russians launched 741 drones and missiles at Ukraine - the biggest single attack of the 40-month war. Some 400 were fired the next day. Over the weekend, 600 drones and 26 missiles including Kh-101 cruise missiles were launched in one of the most intense bombing raids since the inception of the war. Trump also urged Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth to push defence contractors to increase production of armaments. "We have to step them up, Pete, and let them make it at a much higher rate," he said. "Putin is not treating human beings right. He's killing too many people. So we're sending some defensive weapons and I've approved that," Trump added. Experts hope the shipment of these new weapons - and fresh sanctions - could put the Russians back at the negotiating table. 10
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
Everything to know ahead of Donald Trump's UK state visit
This will be Trump's unprecedented second state visit to the UK and he will be joined by his wife First Lady Melania Trump. Here's everything we know about Donald Trump's visit to the UK. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 The President of the United States of America, President Donald J. Trump, accompanied by the First Lady Mrs. Melania Trump, will be hosted by His Majesty The King for a State Visit to the United Kingdom from 17th September to 19th September 2025. — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 14, 2025 When will Donald Trump visit the UK next? Donald Trump is expected to arrive in the UK on Wednesday, September 17 and will be in the country until Friday, September 19, according to Buckingham Palace. This will be Mr Trump's second state visit to the UK – an unprecedented gesture towards an American leader, having previously been feted by a state visit in 2019. Where will Donald Trump stay in the UK? Donald Trump will be hosted by the King and Queen at Windsor Castle during his UK visit. In a letter to the US President, delivered by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and written by King Charles, the King suggested that he and the President might meet at Balmoral or Dumfries House in Scotland first before the much grander state visit. ☀️ Celebrating local charities who support the Wiltshire community. 🙌 Today, The Queen has been in Wiltshire to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Wiltshire and Swindon Community Foundation. 🌷 Her Majesty, as Patron, also officially opened @JamiesFarm latest site at Lower… — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) July 10, 2025 However, it is understood that, although all options were explored, there were logistical challenges surrounding an informal visit, with complexities in both the King and Mr Trump's diaries meaning a private meeting was not possible over the course of the summer months. After reading the letter, Mr Trump said it was a 'great, great honour', adding 'and that says at Windsor – that's really something'. Why is Donald Trump coming to the UK? The House of Commons will not be sitting at the time of Mr Trump's visit as it will be in recess for party conference season, meaning the President will not be able to address Parliament as French President Emmanuel Macron did during his state visit this week. However, the House of Lords will be sitting. A senior minister insisted the timing of the trip was a matter for Buckingham Palace, rather than an attempt by the Government to avoid potential embarrassment over a parliamentary address. Treasury chief secretary Darren Jones said: 'I don't know why the particular dates were chosen by the Palace. 'Of course, state visits are organised by the Palace, not by the Government or Parliament.' Recommended reading: Will Donald Trump visit Scotland this summer? This week, a senior Police Scotland officer said the cost of policing a visit by Mr Trump will be 'considerable' and that the force will look to secure extra funding. It emerged on Wednesday that the force was in the early stages of planning for a visit at the end of July, which is likely to see the president visit one or both of his golf clubs in Aberdeenshire and Ayrshire and require substantial policing resources and probably units to be called in from elsewhere in the UK. Where is Donald Trump now? Trump has travelled to Ukraine and Russia in a special convoy and has today (July 14) arrived in Kyiv, a senior Ukrainian official said.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
I was trying to help Ukraine, claims ‘Russian spy'
A British man accused of offering to sell information to Russia about Sir Grant Shapps claimed he was trying to 'expose Russian agents' to help the Ukrainian war effort, a court was told. Howard Phillips, 65, allegedly tried to help two intelligence officers who he believed were working for Moscow by passing on personal details about the former defence secretary. He was unemployed and had applied for a job at UK Border Force, hoping the security clearance would give him access to more information. It is alleged he believed he was in contact with two Russian Intelligence Service agents called Dima and Sasha, but they were actually undercover British police officers. Giving evidence at Winchester Crown Court on Monday, Mr Phillips said he wrote a letter to the Russian embassy in early 2024 'portraying that I had information and if they were interested, they should contact me'. He said he did not in fact have any information but wrote it 'because of events that were happening in the world'. 'I was intending to track and expose Russian agents,' Mr Phillips said. Asked by his lawyer Jeremy Dein KC what events he was referring to, he said: 'In particular, the war between Israel and Gaza and the Ukrainian-Russian war. 'I was very frustrated with the delay in the US Senate agreeing to finance and provide weapons and material to Ukrainians. 'Watching every day the lines moving further into Ukraine by the Russian army. 'I felt the West wasn't doing enough to stem the flow of Russian advance. 'I was intending to expose and track a Russian agent who may be operating within the UK. It was a small part to play … it was a small part that possibly I could do,' he added. The court heard Mr Phillips's finances were 'decreasing rapidly' at the time but he denied asking for money when he wrote to the Russian embassy, saying he did not believe he would get any money that way. He said he also wrote to the Iranian and Chinese embassies, with the same plan to assist Israel. On April 4 2024 Phillips left the 'agents' a USB stick on the exposed seat shaft of a bicycle parked on Polygon Road, London, near St Pancras and Euston stations.
