To quote ourselves in a prior article discussing possible “peace talks” between King Charles and Prince Harry next month, when it comes to news like this (i.e. personal meetings between family members), “everything has to be taken with a grain of salt.” Such is the case with these reported peace talks, which were allegedly scheduled to happen on Sunday, September 17. The timing made sense: Harry would be stopping off in London after the conclusion of the Invictus Games in Germany on his way home to the U.S.; Charles would be home from Balmoral and a few days away from leaving on a work trip to France. Add in that September 15 is Harry’s birthday and, you know what? The story actually made sense.
But as is the nature with the rollercoaster ride that is reporting on the royal family, we’re now hearing that the talk may not be happening after all. The Independent reports that, “contrary to what many have speculated, reconciliation is not on the agenda for September.” (Reconciliation always seemed more of an October thing, anyway. We kid.) Sources speaking to The Daily Beast not only refute the story that there will be a Charles-Harry meetup, but also shoot down the story that there is to be a summit at Balmoral with Charles, Queen Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales.
The Daily Beast’s sources allegedly “scoffed” at reports of the September 17 meeting between Charles and Harry, but not because both sides don’t want peace—since the king is headed out to France just three days later, Buckingham Palace sources apparently dismissed the notion of a physical meetup happening that close to an official royal visit out of the country. The Daily Beast does report, however, that Charles is open to dialogue with Harry, but Prince William might not be as receptive. “He feels utterly betrayed by what Harry wrote about him in the book [Spare, of course] and said about him on Netflix,” a friend of William’s told the outlet. “They were very close growing up, so it has been very painful for William. But ultimately, what can he do? Just look at Spare. It’s literally William’s worst nightmare. It is a total violation of his privacy. On top of that, Harry has criticized Kate and the way he is bringing up his children.” The friend called the situation “very sad.”
Journalist Omid Scobie said, however, that at least Charles and Harry are in touch. “I don’t think people know there has been a somewhat regular pattern of conversation between him and his father since the release of that book,” he said. “Now, have they discussed the details and the points that he wanted to go into? From what I hear, no. But he has had contact with his dad.”
Of the “are they or aren’t they” meeting between Charles and Harry, public relations expert Matt Yanofsky told The Mirror “Only the men in that room know what will happen, but from a public relations standpoint, the royal family depends on storylines to stay in the news, especially when the public’s approval of the royals is in decline. This is another story point in the soap opera, which is great for the entire family, and the viewers at home.”
Let’s wait and see what happens. For what it’s worth, this writer is always pro-reconciliation, and remains hopeful.
