Prince Harry must make peace now before Prince William becomes king or risk exile
Prince Harry fears he will be banished from the UK once his brother William becomes King, a royal expert believes. King Charles ' youngest son wants to heal the rift with the Royal Family which began with his and wife Meghan's defection to the USA.
Two of the Sussexes' key aides met Charles's communication chief recently, sparking rumours of an olive branch between the two sides. But biographer Tom Bower believes the father and son are a long way from reconciling, and it is possible they may never meet again.
Tom said: 'Whether they'll meet again in Charles's lifetime depends on how long Charles lives. I couldn't say never because I'm sure Charles wants to meet his son, but so much depends on how Harry behaves.'
He added: 'Harry is seriously worried that when his father dies one day, William will literally banish him and he will have no status in Britain at all. He will be persona non grata.'
Tom, 78, who wrote Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors, went on to describe Harry as 'his own worst enemy'.
The former journalist told the Mirror the Duke of Sussex is 'desperate' to repair the relationship with his 76-year-old father. But with Charles continuing to receive treatment for cancer and the extent of the rift in the family, -reconciliation may not happen.
'Harry needs a meeting with Charles to show he is part of the Royal Family and to establish his credibility in Britain,' Tom said.'But as long as the Palace won't give him access to Charles, he can't take the first step. They suspect that the moment he meets Charles, he will use it to establish his credibility, because that's what he desperately needs, and that's also why he's kept away.'
Meredith Maines, Meghan and Harry's chief of staff in California, and Liam Maguire, the head of their UK PR operation, recently met Charles's communication secretary Tobyn Andreae for drinks in London.
Sources hinted the get-together was the beginning of the end of the years of tension and estrangement between the father and son. The two have not been in the same room together since Harry's flying visit to Buckingham Palace following the shock announcement of Charles's cancer in February 2024.
The King has met the youngest Sussex child, four-year-old Lilibet, only once. Harry's next scheduled visit to his homeland is expected to come in September, but it could coincide with Charles and Camilla's annual holiday to Balmoral.
Tom said it is very unlikely they will meet, adding: 'My money would absolutely be no. If he did meet him, it would be in private. A lot depends on Charles's health, that is the unspoken issue in Britain today.
'Because Charles will be in Scotland, the question is will Harry be invited up to Scotland? My guess is no.'
The Duke has a mountain to climb after he and Meghan made personal disclosures and accusations in an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Harry then released his memoir, Spare, in 2023, in which he wrote about his and William's broken relationship.
Tom also cites Harry's recent interview with the BBC following his High Court defeat over state security as a 'terrible act of self harm'.
The dad-of-two referred to the legal battle as an 'establishment stitch-up', and said he didn't know 'how much longer' the King might live. 'There's huge anger in Britain, not least from William, Kate and Camilla about the awful things Harry has said,' Tom said. 'The interview he gave after he lost the security case, and accused the establishment of a stitch up, showed that he's completely uncontrollable. He is unpredictable and his own worst enemy.
'But he fears that once Charles dies he will get no help from William. I wouldn't be surprised if William won't have him at his Coronation.'
Any contact between Harry and Charles would need the full backing of Charles's closest and most trusted aides, Tom added, and unfortunately for the younger royal brother, he is not a priority at the moment.
He said: 'Charles's health is the prime concern, and William's succession is the next thing. Harry's problems are irrelevant and they are irritated by him. Harry can't just arrive at the Palace and see his father.
'When Harry was in Britain at the time Charles's visit to France was cancelled because of the riots, there was ample time to meet and one would assume Charles's diary was empty. But Harry was told his diary was full and he couldn't see him.
'He can't even get him on the phone because they don't trust him and they're angry with him. They don't understand his motivations.'
It has been said that the recent peace summit would not have happened without Prince William 's blessing, but too much has happened between the two brothers for -reconciliation to be an option.
Tom, currently working on a follow-up to Revenge, also claimed that William and Kate, both 43, would probably block any further reconciliation and, given Charles's health, the pressure is mounting.
While Harry has made sporadic trips to the UK since he and Meghan stepped down as working royals and relocated to California, Meghan has set foot on UK soil only once, for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
As she continues to build her As Ever lifestyle brand and prepare for a second series of Netflix show, With Love, her own relationship with The Firm is not on her agenda, Tom said.
'Meghan is tired of it all, she wants it to be over,' he added. 'She doesn't give two hoots about what happens.
'It puts a great strain on their marriage and their relationship because Harry frets and becomes very unhappy about it all.
'Meghan wants to get on, and build herself up as a television personality and have nothing more to do with Britain at all. It doesn't interest her.'
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