Prince Harry is expected to reconnect with King Charles when he makes his way back to UK territory for the WellChild Awards in September, but Royal expert Jennie Bond thinks the potential meeting could encounter a significant obstacle.
The Duke of Sussex’s uncommon journey to England will align with the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s passing on September 8, and although insiders suggest Harry will have a sit-down with Charles, Jennie Bond thinks it’s conceivable Charles won’t be free to observe the somber occasion, despite having no international commitments scheduled.
The former BBC Royal correspondent also shared with the Royals News that a reconciliation is well past due between the distant father and son. She stated: “I will say that a meeting between Harry and his father is long overdue. I have always thought that it is the parent’s role to be the bigger person in any family row: you just have to open your arms and say to your child – albeit a grown-up child – ‘Come here you silly so-and-so, and give me a hug.'”
Jennie acknowledged that this is more easily said than accomplished when discussing the Royal family, considering the series of public attacks since Harry and Meghan departed the Firm in 2020. She also suggested Harry’s fight for UK security may have contributed to prolonging the ongoing dispute.
“That, though, simply hasn’t been possible while Harry was suing his father’s own government over his security demands,” she stated. “Now that that court case is over, a major obstacle to a meeting has been cleared.
“So, particularly given that we know that the communications teams from each side have met fairly recently and that therefore an avenue of communication is open, a meeting when Harry is here for the Well Child Awards could hopefully happen.”
Despite Harry expressing his wish to reconcile with his father during a comprehensive BBC interview in May, Jennie Bond suspects that Charles might be in Scotland on the same day as Harry’s charitable event, which could create logistical challenges.
Jennie explained: “We have all become quite used to Harry coming and going without seeing his family. His visits are generally extremely brief and the King is usually up in Scotland for the anniversary of his mother’s death. So arranging a meeting may not be straightforward.”
Earlier this week, the Royals News exclusively revealed that Harry is set to meet his father for the first time in 20 months when he returns to Britain – though Prince William has dismissed any reconciliation with his brother.
The warming of relations between the Duke of Sussex and the monarch follows an unofficial peace summit with Buckingham Palace officials. When asked if Harry is likely to connect with any other family members during his rare UK visit, Jennie speculated: “Harry may well see some of his cousins – such as Eugenie or Beatrice – but I don’t think there’s any likelihood of a meeting with William or Catherine. The rift between the brothers remains too deep and William has far too much going on in his life to worry about the Harry problem.
“I would never say never in a family dispute. As the years roll by, it may be that William will find a way to reconcile with Harry. But that day – if it ever comes, and it may not – is not any time soon.”
While there have been numerous factors contributing to why William has seemingly no desire to mend the bridge with Harry, Jennie Bond believes the rumors of a potential documentary on Princess Diana – commissioned by Prince Harry as part of his new Netflix deal – could only prolong the rift.
She said: “How sad it would be if Harry decided to go it alone on another film about her. He shared that agonising loss with his brother. They were in shock together, they grieved together, they walked side by side behind her coffin.
“A solo film by Harry would simply underline the bitter feud with his brother and would antagonise the rest of the family. I suspect these reports are just rumors and wishful thinking by Netflix. I doubt whether Harry would really want to commercialize his mother’s life and death.”