Royal commentators have said that Charles and William 'have no intention' of giving into Harry’s demands because of a major fear. Photo / AP
Royal commentators have said that Charles and William 'have no intention' of giving into Harry’s demands because of a major fear. Photo / AP
Prince Harry’s hope for a pre-coronation reunion with his family has been branded as “delusional” by royal experts.
Insiders have revealed that King Charles and his son Prince William “have no intention” of offering Harry “the apology he is demanding from them” before his presumed-trip to the UK. A source close to the royals said that the situation between Harry and his London relatives is a “toxic stalemate”, according to the Daily Mail.
“I don’t think Prince William or King Charles will make any special arrangements to have a private discussion with Prince Harry prior to the coronation because the word “private” has become increasingly debatable in the Sussex space,” To Di For Daily host Kinsey Schofield told Fox News Digital.
“What would that content consist of? Perhaps a controversial closed-door conversation with his brother and father prior to one of the most historic events this generation has seen? I think the royal family is smarter than that and focused on the future of the monarchy.
“Harry is under the delusion that he is the only one owed an apology,” Schofield added.
“William and Kate Middleton are owed an apology. Meghan and Harry have gone out of their way to tarnish the images of William and Catherine … The Sussexes were free. They found their freedom. Instead of using their freedom to dedicate their lives to service as they promised … they have dedicated their lives to settling old scores.”
The Sussexes have aired dirty laundry about the British monarchy since the couple officially exited the royal family in 2020 and moved to Montecito, where they are now raising their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
“There’s a lot that can happen between now and then,” said Harry at the time.
“But, the door is always open. The ball is in their court. There’s a lot to be discussed, and I really hope that they’re willing to sit down and talk about it.”
Richard Fitzwilliams agreed with Schofield’s comments. The royal commentator reaffirmed that Harry and Meghan were “delusional” if they thought the royal family would sit down for a private meeting, especially when there’s a good chance the details of the closed-door affair could make newspaper headlines the next day.
Harry and Meghan's bombshell Oprah interview made headlines around the world. Photo / Getty Images
“The Sussexes have lucrative contracts with Netflix, Spotify and [publishers] Penguin Random House but only because they are royal,” Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital.
“It has been made clear that they will be invited to the coronation. Whether they attend is up to them. If they were not to attend it would surely be extremely damaging. This is a unique event which will attract worldwide fascination.
“The palace has no reason to compromise as they had to endure a veritable blizzard of attacks from [the couple’s] Netflix docuseries and subsequently when his memoir Spare was released, and he gave several television interviews.
“So, the ball is in the Sussex’s court. If they do come, the palace will know how to deal with them and talk with other members of the royal family, lest it be repeated, will only be about the weather.”
Harry has spoken out multiple times about the hostility between him and his father and brother since he exited the royal family.
In the Sussex’s Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, which hit screens in December, the couple went into great detail about their experiences within the royal family, and their reason for stepping down from the monarchy and moving to the US.
In the Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, the Sussexes detailed their experiences within the royal family, while sharing their reason for stepping down from royal responsibilities. Photo / Netflix
Harry expressed his anger towards the royal press team as well as detailing his tense relationship with his brother and the rest of the royal household.
Meghan revealed that the media’s toxic depiction of her made her want to end her life.
Prior to Harry’s memoir hitting shelves, ITV’s Bradby asked the former royal whether he felt that he, too, had invaded his family’s privacy by talking about his life within the monarchy.
“Some people will say you’ve railed against invasions of your privacy all your life and the accusation will be here are you invading the privacy of your nearest and dearest without permission,” said Bradby.
“That would be the accusation from people that don’t understand or don’t want to believe that my family has been briefing the press,” Harry responded.
When Bradby suggested that the Prince of Wales was likely asking his brother, “How you could do this to me after everything?” Harry replied subtly, “He would probably say all sorts of different things”.
Prince Harry speaking during an interview with ITV's Tom Bradby for the programme Harry: The Interview. Photo / PA via AP
Insiders told theDaily Mail that the King is prepared to have a chat with Harry because “he’s his son, he loves him”. However, William is “not in the mood for any kind of conversation”.
“William is reported to be incandescent with rage over the many insults lobbied by Harry both at his wife the Princess of Wales but also at the royal family and so publicly in the media which he claims to loathe yet cultivates so assiduously,” Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
“The focus of the royals continues to be on serving the nation, national sports and dedication to the solemnity of the upcoming sacred coronation,” said the royal commentator.
“Seeing Harry and Meghan become figures of ridicule indicates to them all that taking the high road will continue to serve them better.”
Insiders told the Daily Mail that the King is prepared to have a chat with Harry because 'he’s his son, he loves him'. However, William is 'not in the mood for any kind of conversation'. Photo / Getty Images
Sources within the Palace say that even if Charles is intending to reconnect with his estranged son before the ceremony, Harry may not receive the conversation he’s hoping for.
“I don’t think His Majesty is minded to apologise for anything at present,” claimed the insider.
“Quite the opposite. There is still a huge amount of ill will boiling over in the family. Conversations could still happen in the next few weeks, I am sure, but they will be waiting a very long time for an apology. There’s a great deal of hurt [at Harry’s actions].”
In the ITV interview, Harry lamented to Bradby that he wanted his father and brother back, noting that all he wanted was “a family, not an institution”.
In Spare, Harry accused William of physically attacking him during a heated argument regarding Meghan.
He alleged that his brother called the former Suits actress “difficult,” “rude” and “abrasive”.
Harry then revealed to ITV that the royal household had branded him and his wife as “villains” and had “shown absolutely no willingness to reconcile”.
Prince Harry discusses his controversial book Spare with US host Stephen Colbert on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Photo / Supplied
In another interview on CBS, Harry said that the monarchy’s refusal to get involved and defend the Sussexes from the slurs made against them by the British press was, in his eyes, a “betrayal”.
At present, it is not known whether Harry and Meghan will attend the coronation on May 6. Experts have indicated that the ceremony lies on the same day as Harry’s son Archie’s birthday, which acts as a good excuse for the duchess not to attend the coronation and rather stay home with her children to avoid further scrutiny by the press.
Why should the royals apologise?
Christopher Andersen, author of The King, divulged to Fox News Digitalthat regardless of whether the Sussexes attend the coronation or not, “Harry is going to have an awfully long way to be expecting an apology”.
“Let’s get real here – what is there for them to apologise for, exactly?” Andersen questioned.
'The King may see himself as a sort of hapless referee between the battling brothers, but the fact is he is the most wronged person in this scenario,' says author Christopher Andersen. Photo / AP
“I think anyone looking at the situation rationally would conclude that William is the one who should be seeking an apology. Harry’s cutting remarks about his brother in Spare were quite egregious. I’m certain he regrets having made some of them and wishes he had toned the whole thing down a bit.
“As for some sort of summit involving the king and the princes, that seems highly unlikely.
“The King may see himself as a sort of hapless referee between the battling brothers, but the fact is he is the most wronged person in this scenario.
“This is the crowning moment of his life – literally – and the turmoil created by Megxit and its aftermath, are headaches he just doesn’t need.
“William may be seething, but he is smart enough not to let it show. Besides, he doesn’t want to give his brother the satisfaction of knowing the Sussexes have really upset the royal applecart – and at a time the monarchy itself can least afford it”.
