Latest news with #Meghan
Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Royal insider breaks silence on Prince Harry peace talks with telling update
An insider has spoken out about the meeting between senior aides to both the King and Prince Harry - and revealed what the summit in London means for future relations between father and son A royal insider has offered fresh insight into the secret peace talks held between King Charles Prince Harry 's senior aides. It has emerged that Harry's chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who runs Harry and Meghan's UK public relations team, met the King's communications secretary Tobyn Andreae at the Royal Over-Seas League in London last week. The private member's club is right by Clarence House - Charles' London residence.. The meeting has been described by sources as informal, with casual drinks intended to open a channel of communication between both camps. It is unknown who exactly initiated the meeting. And now, one royal insider has told PEOPLE magazine: "It was a good first step. It is always better to be talking." They added: "It's a positive step. There's optimism that it can be taken forward." 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 Prince Willaim 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. Sources told the Mirror that the King would welcome a royal reunion with Harry - but only if he scales back his public attacks on the family and stops the "endless" interviews. However, it's feared that Harry's fractured relationship with William is harder to repair after his memoir Spare revealed the two had a physical fight over his relationship with Meghan. The source said: "The King has consistently shown he loves both his sons and as he has done in the past is prepared to meet Harry when their diaries allow such an occasion. It's not unusual for aides from different households to meet, especially when there is a new influx of staff starting their roles, but of course, this is a significant moment. "Senior members of the family have in the past said to Harry that he must both stop his attacks on the family as well as giving endless rounds of broadcast interviews as his only way of communication. If there is a period of calm and reflection on the part of the Duke of Sussex, then there may be a way forward for him to begin along the road of repairing his relationship with his father. "As for his relationship with his brother, that is a different matter entirely and one which he will find much harder to repair."
Daily Mirror
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Real reason behind Harry and Meghan's charm offensive with King Charles revealed
Prince Harry and King Charles' most senior aides have come together for a secret meeting in a major shift towards reconciliation - and it appears to be part of a wider strategy for the Sussexes A reunion between Prince Harry and his estranged father King Charles is on the cards, and it seems there's been plenty of work behind the scenes to try and improve relations. Their teams came together for a top secret meeting last week, marking the first significant shift towards reconciliation since the Duke infuriated his family with numerous public smears against them. And it has now been revealed that the meeting between Charles and Harry's most senior aides, held at a swanky London members club, came amid a "charm offensive" by the Sussexes to transform their public image on the prince's home soil. Harry and Meghan's new chief of communications, Meredith Maines, met with Charles' communication secretary Tobyn Andreae. The secret summit was held at Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) club, a mere stone's throw away from Clarence House, the monarch's London residence. Ironically, the members club prides itself on "championing international friendship across the world". A source told said of the meet: "There's a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in year. There was no formal agenda, just casual drinks. There were things both sides wanted to talk about." But the Sussexes' new communications guru was already busy schmoozing UK connections before the historic meeting, as she reportedly flew in from California days before the summit for a host of meetings and events with British businesses, charities and journalists, the Daily Mail reports. Maines, who heads up Harry's household on Monetico, California, was joined by Liam Maguire, the couple's new UK PR lead, for the meetings. It has been claimed that their busy itinerary indicates a fresh plan to reinvent the Sussex image in the UK, as the couple's move to America and subsequent attacks on the royal household has left a sour taste in the mouth of many Brits. Last month, Harry and Meghan said goodbye to six members of staff in a complete overhaul of their communications team. Those who got the boot included UK-based Charlie Gipson, their director of communications in Europe, and US-based Kyle Boulia, their deputy press secretary. Another was Lianne Cashin, the former head of operations at Archewell, just weeks after she was promoted to a senior consultant and praised by sources close to the Sussexes. Also cut was Meghan Markle 's social media manager. The shake-up is thought to have come before Meghan posted her viral twerking video on Instagram to mark her daughter Lilibet's fourth birthday. There has been a notable shift in the Duchess' social media strategy since she returned to the platform, including regular photos of her children. Previously, the couple hadn't shown Archie and Lilibet's faces online but now personal family snaps are often shared by Meghan. The PR overhaul comes after Harry and Meghan were savaged by a Vanity Fair article earlier this year, which delved into their life in California and even labelled them 'local villains'. The brutal takedown also made numerous allegations of mistreatment from former staff. According to the Times, Harry and Meghan dismissed the allegations at the time, with a source close to them describing them as 'distressing'. Harry is due to head back to the UK in September for the annual WellChild events, an opportunity which could see him reunite with his dad for the first time in 18 months. But Prince William doesn't appear to have any plans to see his brother, despite the peace talks. It is understood that the historic meeting did not cover Harry returning to a formal royal role, but both teams discussed avoiding any media clashes and conflicts in the calendar.
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First Post
15 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Harry-Meghan latest update: How ‘intense jealousy' was the cause for the downside of Duchess of Sussex?
Firstpost has earlier written about how insecure or publicity crazy Meghan Markle has always been. She has often been referred to as a social climber who tried to show that she had a huge friend circle from Hollywood, until Hollywood started ostracising Harry-Meghan and favouring William-Kate. Why Meghan's Hollywood career never took off despite her father's connection? Despite Meghan Markle's prior ties to Hollywood, her and Harry's contacts in the industry are moving to Kate and William. According to reports published in Daily Mail, like a lot of young girls growing up in Los Angeles, Meghan Markle yearned for a career in Hollywood. Luckily for the future Duchess her 'famous' father - Thomas Markle - worked in the industry as a lighting director and gave her a leg up other aspiring actresses could only dream of. And yet, Meghan's career in tinsel town was not the dazzling success her fellow LA natives enjoyed - such as Angelina Jolie or Leonardo DiCaprio. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What royal author Tom Bower had t say? Tom Bower wrote in his book that her 'intense jealousy, especially if someone else got the lead part' left a negative legacy on her career. He said, 'One downside of Meghan's success was her intense jealousy, especially if someone else got the lead part. Meghan became particularly irritated after one girl at her school was employed by a Hollywood studio as an actress.' This showed the level of 's jealousy. And we all are aware of how she carried this venomous trait even when she got married to Prince Harry. She always needed attention. The Daily Mail story says, it was a character trait that her father noticed while she was still in school. Telling Mr Bower that his daughter 'wants to be the star of the stage' and 'the star in life'. How Meghan's father helped her in fulfilling her dreams How Meghan's father helped her in fulfilling her dreams? Meghan ever since her childhood days used to throw fits, if her father didn't give in to each of her demands. Her father once said when he didn't get invited for Meghan's wedding to prince Harry, that I not given in to her demands and wishes ever since her childhood days, Meghan wouldn't have been Duchess of Sussex today. And rightly so, as per the Daily Mail report, the father obeyed all of Meghan's wishes in her pursuit of becoming an actress. This included paying a professional photographer to take a headshot of Meghan which Thomas then 'dutifully' circulated to producers though they received no reply. At 17, Meghan got a taste of the red carpet when she joined her father at the Emmy awards where he was nominated for best lighting director. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Author Brown also wrote in his book loved the glamour of celebrityhood. And like a dotting father, Thomas Markle always did her best and gave in to her wishes. In fact, what we understand from Brown's writing is that, Meghan was always a problematic and self-centred child. But Thomas and Meghan eventually found themselves at loggerheads when he finally refused to bow to his daughter's every whim. How Meghan maligned his father's reputation The meanest way to secure what you want in life, is to put down the person who helped you in this journey of success and limelight because that person knows how exactly you have achieved it. That was the case with Meghan Markle, she knew very well deep within herself that had her father not helped and supported her, she wouldn't have achieved even little of what she has in life. Meghan completely cut-off from his father Thomas told Mail online, 'I've had a good life and I am proud of what I've accomplished, but everything has been overshadowed by what has happened in the last six years.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thomas also had two major heart attacks just before Meghan's wedding ceremony, preventing him from walking his daughter down the aisle. Since then, Meghan and Harry have not communicated with Thomas, and he has never had the opportunity to meet his son-in-law - or grandchildren Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four. (With inputs from Daily Mail and agencies)
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
JAN MOIR: I tried Meghan's new overpriced 14.5% rose. This is what it proves about her and all her lofty social justice warrior plans
Welcome to my Duchess of Sussex-themed picnic! Today I am channelling my inner Meghan like never before, dining out on the delights of her As Ever lifestyle and homemaking brand. I'm knee-deep in As Ever flower sprinkles, I'm trying not to laugh at her pitifully runny As Ever jams, I'm contemplating her tins of As Ever herbal tea and admiring the casual display of Californian abundance.
Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Times
A secret meeting, a photo, next a reunion for King Charles and Harry?
Leaks, he's known a few. Prince Harry, that is. A close reading of his autobiography would suggest that there are so many leaks at the Palace that the Windsors risk sinking without trace. Harry rails against a spin doctor who leaked 'the details of our private summits with Camilla' before her wedding to Charles. He is furious that a plan for him and Meghan to move to South Africa 'got leaked and scuppered' and he accuses Palace staff of attempting to 'sabotage' his relationship with Meghan by 'leaking private stuff to the press about Meg and me'. Now a 'peace summit' between Harry's PR team and the King's spokesman has been leaked. Images of the meeting were splashed across a Sunday newspaper — a sign, for some, that the ice was thawing in the long-running feud between Harry and the royal family. Or his father, at least. There were two particularly interesting things about the summit: the first being that it happened at all, given the animosity between the Sussexes and the rest of the family in the five years since they quit royal duties. The second most interesting thing is that the 'pap' pictures of the meeting appeared. Let's deal with them in reverse order. Assuming it wasn't a good old-fashioned journalist's tip, whoever tipped off the press would have had a goal in mind. But it's not entirely clear who the information serves. Harry is understood to be 'sanguine' about the pictures. After all, that's what he has come to expect. His aides, meanwhile, say they are 'frustrated' about the leak. That would point towards the only other party present at the meeting. There's only one problem with that; the Palace is not known for benevolently dishing out such delicious nuggets of gossip to the Sunday papers. • Behold the 'secret' royal summit. Is a Charles and Harry reunion next? The meeting itself was otherwise nondescript — or at least it was meant to be. A chance for both sides to start up 'a new open channel of communication', according to Harry's side. In May, Harry opened up his own channel of communication — via a primetime interview on the BBC. The Palace was not given advance warning. The BBC had expected the duke to deliver a short statement after his defeat in the courts over his long-running bid to have his police security reinstated in the UK. Instead, they got a 30-minute stream of consciousness in which Harry simultaneously set out his stall as the injured party and launched what appeared to be another insult, saying that 'some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book'. He added: 'Of course, they will never forgive me for lots of things.' It sounded petulant and it felt like another attack, but it was the first time we'd heard Harry articulate a eureka moment; that it was his family's role to forgive him, not the other way round. He went on: 'I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight any more. As I said, life is precious. 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.' On Wednesday that process appeared to begin. Charles and Camilla returned to London after bidding farewell to President Macron and his wife, Brigitte. The Queen had just headed off to Wimbledon and the King had finished hosting a reception with his Tour Artists at Buckingham Palace. Late afternoon, Tobyn Andreae, the King and Queen's communications secretary, left the Palace to keep a commitment at the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL). The club, of which the King is patron, was a seemingly appropriate setting for a meeting with his PR counterparts from Harry's office, given that the club 'champions international friendship across the world'. Andreae's guests were Meredith Maines, Harry's communications officer and head of his household in Montecito, and Liam Maguire, his PR representative in the UK. Maines was over from the US for a few days and had set up meetings with various London contacts, all with the duke's blessing. The Times has learnt that there was no instruction from Harry for her to contact the Prince of Wales's office. Buckingham Palace, however, was contacted and agreed to a meeting. When the King's spokesman arrived at the club, Harry's aides were already waiting inside. Andreae brought a bottle of wine as a gift for Maines. Should they sit outside or in? The decision was taken, ironically it now seems, to sit outside for fear of being overheard within. On a balcony overlooking Green Park, the conversation began but within ten minutes Maguire had spotted a photographer. He alerted Andreae and the three moved back inside to continue the meeting there. On Saturday night the mystery of the photographer in the bushes was revealed when Andreae had a call from the Mail on Sunday alerting him to the story. He duly informed Harry's team. So, how did they know? And who does it suit? While a social media commentator has remarked that Andreae 'is giving main character energy' he much prefers to be in the background, leaving the 'main character' role to 'the boss', aka the King, and 'the lady boss', aka the Queen. Similarly Maguire, put in post a few weeks ago after the sudden departure of two of Harry's former press officers, appears to enjoy a low profile. A former military man, Maguire has known Harry for several years through his work as a trustee for Blesma, the charity for limbless veterans. Meanwhile, Maines was on a short visit to London and Andreae was just one of several on her list of people to meet. In a previous role she reportedly ruled publicity for the Netflix series The Crown with 'an iron fist'. So, was it leaked and why? Both sides claim innocence. Which brings us to the issue of why the meeting occurred at all. What many don't realise, however, is that the meeting was the result of years of trying on Harry's part to reconnect with the royal family. This latest attempt is the closest he has got so far, which is probably worth a picture. So, why was a meeting granted now? From the King's perspective, it helps that Harry's court case against His Majesty's government has come to an end. Charles cannot be co-opted into saying anything about a case where his son is using his father's courts to sue his father's government about a security decision. With that out of the way, the King is more open to hearing what his younger son has to say. There's another reason too. When Harry's book Spare was published, the duke told Tom Bradby in a television interview that he wanted an apology from the royal family for all the hurt they had caused him and his wife. This repeated demand meant that any possible meeting with the Palace was doomed to fail and promptly rejected. A source described the negotiations as including 'untenable demands from the American side'. The King couldn't possibly be left open to a tirade of abuse from his younger son, particularly after his cancer diagnosis. But now it appears that Harry has changed his objective. He is no longer publicly demanding an apology. A source who has known Harry well for several decades said: 'He appears to be softening on his demand for an apology now. There seems to be a realisation that this is not going to be granted. The meeting may have been a chance to put it all behind them and move on.' This concession on Harry's part appears to have opened a channel whereby the Palace is prepared to meet him. 'Harry has made no secret of the fact that he wants to be reconciled,' says a well-placed source. 'And he knows that talking and communication is by far the best way to go ahead.' In other words, the damaging accusations — and threats of more to come — are now in the past. Or so they say. Perhaps he is finally growing up, knowing that the door is likely to be permanently shut to him when his brother, Prince William, becomes king. Others are less charitable. A well-placed observer described the meeting and its subsequent publicity as a 'desperate' attempt of the duke to get back into the royal fold. With no discernible job, other than that of a supporting role to his highly driven and successful wife, Harry may well be realising what he has given up. He has said that he was left 'devastated' by the decision to leave his charity Sentebale, along with his co-founder and all the trustees, after a row with the chair. Yet he still clings to what he has always known. Maines's title, as head of Harry's 'household', suggests that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have no interest in divorcing themselves from their previous royal lives. They continue to use their duke and duchess titles, as is their right. They are not, however, permitted to use their HRH titles. Meghan appeared to overstep when 'HRH' was used on a card sent to a friend as a personal gift. Whether their children, Archie and Lilibet, will use their prince and princess titles will surely be a matter for them. All this is to say that a very public link with the royal household is no bad thing for the Sussexes, at least from a PR perspective. Could the publicity help his case or at least show his brother that he is serious about reconciliation? It doesn't hurt the King either, whose reluctance to see his son baffled some commentators. Similarly, the King comes across well from the meeting. But whether such a febrile truce can withstand such a major breach of discretion is uncertain. The meeting is said to have 'opened the channel of communication' between father and son for the first time in months. It is probably what Harry should have done in the first place rather than trying to have a dialogue through television networks, a million-dollar book deal and various podcasts and interviews. But it prompts the question: what does Harry want? He clearly wants to see his father, who is still receiving regular cancer treatment. Yet he also wants to be welcomed back with open arms and to come and go in the UK as he pleases so that he can stay in touch with his charities. When it comes to rebuilding a relationship with his family, his past behaviour makes that tricky. Whether he likes it or not, dropping his demand for an apology may not be enough. It may now require one from him.
