In the days immediately after the Queen’s death, amidst all the sadness and nostalgia, there was a spectacle that warmed the hearts of many. could it be true Had Harry and William finally reconciled?
We rushed to our television sets and watched as the two princes and their wives came out of Windsor Castle together to greet the crowd and view their floral offerings.
It had been Prince William’s idea, we later learned, to show a demonstration of unity – a gesture that would certainly have touched his deeply Christian grandmother. And for a few minutes, it seemed as if the feuding couple had traveled back in time before bitterness and harsh words destroyed their relationship.
Unfortunately, it was all an illusion – as sources close to the royal family have confirmed to me. Catherine later admitted to a senior royal that walking the walk together was one of the hardest things she’d ever had to do, such was the bad feeling between the two couples.
Catherine, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on the Long Walk at Windsor Castle to greet well-wishers
The Prince and Princess of Wales and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend floral tributes and meet with the public at Windsor Castle
Keep in mind that this was before Prince Harry published Spare, the autobiography that not only revealed family secrets but also revealed his grudge against his brother. It was before the cloying Netflix documentary series he did with Meghan and the series of television interviews in which he criticized the royal institution.
If Catherine found it almost unbearable to go on a walking tour with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex before all of this, how – one has to ask – does she and William feel about her now?
In truth, by the time his grandmother died, Harry had few supporters left in the family. Even the queen, who had always loved him dearly, grew tired of his outbursts.
First, she was tired of the heated exchanges between Harry and his brother that sometimes took place in her presence. Then Harry and Meghan had started publicly criticizing both the monarchy and members of the royal family.
At the time, the Queen was openly confused by the couple’s behavior, describing it as “pretty crazy”. However, she came to believe that her grandson was “so consumed” by his love for his wife that it “clouded his judgment.”
And she felt let down: Not only was Her Majesty disappointed by Harry’s decision to step down from his royal duties, but she also saw the Sussexes’ departure as a missed opportunity. Despite this, the Queen sincerely hoped that her grandson would find peace and happiness in living the life he chose.
For his part, Harry called her regularly from California. But it worried the queen as he kept trying to vent his grievances. In the end, she asked him to speak directly to his father instead. A source said: “Her Majesty has found Prince Harry’s calls quite difficult and tiresome. She didn’t want to interfere in the father-son relationship and would urge him to talk to his father.’
Kate found her walking tour of Windsor with Harry and Meghan after the Queen’s death “one of the most difficult things she’s ever had to do,” a sensational new royal book reveals today
Not only was Her Majesty disappointed by Harry’s decision to step down from his royal duties, but she also saw the Sussexes’ departure as a missed opportunity. Pictured: Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle on April 28, 2022
That didn’t work either. Prince Charles simply stopped taking Harry’s calls after his son verbally abused him and repeatedly asked for money.
When the Queen asked Charles why he hadn’t given in, he told her he wasn’t a bank.
News of Harry’s relationship with an American actress broke on October 31, 2016. Meghan Markle didn’t seem concerned: On the same day, she posted a picture of two spooning bananas on Instagram. But her mood seemed to be changing quickly.
Photos of the prince’s stunning new girlfriend were suddenly all the rage and she was inevitably targeted by the paparazzi.
“Fearing” for her safety, Harry later admitted he feared history would repeat itself and Meghan suffer the same relentless persecution his mother endured, which he says had led to her death.
On November 8, he released a formal statement calling on the press and online trolls to stop what he called a “wave of abuse and harassment” against his girlfriend, claiming he was in “nightly lawsuits.” ‘ to stop preventing the media from publishing defamatory stories about Meghan and their relationship. Unfortunately, he had consulted neither Charles nor William before unleashing this inflammatory broadside.
His father was given just 20 minutes’ notice before Harry released a formal statement calling on the press and online trolls to stop the “abuse” directed at Meghan. Pictured: Meghan, a then-Prince Charles, and Harry on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on June 9, 2018
His father was only given 20 minutes’ notice before it was released. On that day, Prince Charles had just arrived in Bahrain for a visit to the Gulf States sponsored by the Federal Foreign Office. As any member of the royal family could have predicted, press attention immediately shifted from the tour to his infatuated son and new girlfriend.
Reports at the time suggested Charles was “dejected,” but that was far from the truth. Instead, he was disappointed with what he saw as his son’s bad manners.
“He would never have done anything like this if the Queen was on tour,” said a former staffer.
“Understandably there is a hierarchy and a grid system, but Prince Harry seemed to think that when it came to Meghan Markle, she would always come first.”
William was restless too. He secretly thought his brother had overreacted. “It was all a little bit dramatic, a little bit OTT,” one of his former employees later recalled. As for Harry, he was offended when he was told the massive attention Meghan was receiving was only to be expected. He was also upset at what he saw as a lack of support from his family.
As he later explained in the Netflix docu-series he was filming with Meghan, “As far as a lot of family members go, whatever she went through, she went through.”
As he later explained in the Netflix docu-series he was filming with Meghan, “As far as a lot of family members were concerned, whatever she had to go through had been through.
“So it was almost like a rite of passage, and some family members were like, ‘My wife had to go through this, so why should your friend be treated any differently? Why should you submit to special treatment? Why should she be protected?’ I said, ‘The difference here is the racing element.’ ‘
The ‘racial element’ that so exercised Harry’s protective instincts had somehow eluded his royal grandmother.
When they first met, the Queen sipped tea with Meghan, not realizing she was mixed race. The monarch, used to being given advance notice whenever she met someone, later explained – speaking to a member of her inner circle – that she simply had not been told.
Of course, had she known at the time that Meghan’s mother was black, the Queen – who counted Nelson Mandela among her dear friends – would not have been the least bit concerned.
In fact, she was delighted that Harry had finally found love and warmly welcomed Meghan into the royal family. But when Her Majesty suggested she turn to Sophie, Countess of Wessex for support and advice, Meghan dismissed the idea, saying: “I have Harry.”
Her reply surprised the queen, who no doubt expected her well-intentioned suggestion to be greeted with gratitude. Still, that hardly mattered: Meghan, in her opinion, had the potential to be a great asset to the monarchy.
The Queen was delighted that Harry had finally found love and warmly welcomed Meghan to the royal family. Pictured: Meghan and Queen Elizabeth II at a ceremony marking the opening of the new Mersey Gateway Bridge on June 14, 2018
The actress’ confident presentation skills combined with her black heritage convinced the Queen that she would make a great advocate for young women as she worked with Harry in his role as youth ambassador for the Commonwealth youth programme.
For her part, Meghan was said to be “very excited” about this new venture. Surely she would have known that the Queen held the Commonwealth at heart and that her support was an honor.
Sources tell me Meghan subsequently became deeply involved with the Commonwealth and was seen poring over her notes.
However, within months of the Queen’s death, the documentary series The Duke and Duchess of Sussex for Netflix seemed to indicate she had undergone a radical change of heart. To the amazement of those who remembered Meghan’s enthusiasm for her new role, the series derogatorily branded the Commonwealth as “Empire 2.0”.
As we now know, William had urged his brother to be careful before embarking on a life with Meghan Markle. Even when Harry said he was dying to marry her, William apparently told him, “She’s an American actress after all, Harold, anything could happen.”
William had previously urged his brother to be careful before embarking on a life with Meghan Markle
It wasn’t the most tactful comment, but it had its reasons. He knew that Harry – even before he met Meghan – had been obsessed with the idea of getting married and settling down.
William, who had always babysat his younger brother, was concerned that a whirlwind affair would so quickly lead to marriage. But Harry, whose passion for Meghan had peaked, was hurt.
Another unpleasant surprise awaited him when he announced his intention to marry his father (who already knew this from his older son). First, William, who was present at that meeting, asked, “Are you sure, Harold?”
He said he was. Charles then dropped a bombshell and said he couldn’t afford to pay for both Meghan and Camilla and for William and Catherine and their young family going forward. This made Harry angry.
As his wedding day approached, the hurts piled up in his head. The first introduction to his bride-to-be with William and Catherine at Kensington Palace left Meghan with the impression that Catherine was distant.
Later, the Duchess of Cambridge – then pregnant – had demanded an apology after Meghan opened up about Catherine’s hormones, suggesting she had “baby brains”. And then there had been that famous argument over a bridesmaid dress for Princess Charlotte.
Charles dropped a bombshell saying he couldn’t afford to pay for both Meghan, Camilla, William and Catherine and their young family going forward
William and Charles noticed that Harry seemed constantly nervous. Members of the bride and groom’s entourage also noted that the prince had become “stubborn and short-tempered” – occasionally raising his voice at the staff and even swearing. For his part, Harry was now convinced that William would not approve of his choice of bride. Whether this was the case or not, the once-close bond between the siblings crumbled badly.
As simmering resentment threatened to boil over, Prince Charles wondered what he could do. For his part, he had welcomed Meghan and been fascinated by her intelligence and vivacious personality.
Camilla, too, had played her role as a kind of “super grandma” and provided her with humorous, down-to-earth advice. But the actress made it clear that she would make her own decisions. Like any loving father, Charles was distraught when his sons bumped into each other, especially when the bad feelings between them seemed to spread to both Meghan and Catherine. Aware that both Harry and William were stubborn and strong-willed, he feared that the conflict between them would be very difficult to manage and could be detrimental to the monarchy itself.
At times the level of belligerence between his sons – and even towards him when they challenged him – shocked Charles. One particular exchange with William had become so heated that he was actually shaken.
Though Charles has a short fuse himself, his temper is always short-lived. Averse to confrontation, he decided not to intervene in the clash between William and Harry, trusting that time would pass.
On May 19, 2018, the day of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, the ebullient crowd was unaware of the feud
On May 19, 2018, the day of Harry and Meghan’s wedding, the ebullient crowd was unaware of the feud between the brothers and the ongoing animosity between their wives.
It wasn’t until October 2019 – when an ITV documentary about the Sussexes’ tour of South Africa was shown – that the rift was openly acknowledged.
Harry opened up about his strained relationship with his brother for the first time, while his wife admitted their life had been a struggle behind the scenes.
This angered Prince William, who saw it as a betrayal. A member of his circle said he felt particularly let down. He thought the trust between them was gone.
William was also now concerned at reports that the Sussex household was not a happy place to work. There has been an unusually high staff turnover and worrying allegations of bullying (vehemently denied by the Sussexes’ lawyer) from Meghan.
From Harry’s point of view, this was garbage fertilized with stories. But enough was enough: the flurry of negativity surrounding Meghan helped both of them decide it was time to start a new life away from the palace, the press and the royal family.
As Christmas 2019 approached, he told his father that he and his wife no longer wanted to serve as full-time royals, but wanted a workable plan for their attendance and separation, and would split their time between the UK and North America.
They moved to California and began signing multi-million dollar deals with Netflix and other companies
Charles, used to his son blowing off steam on a regular basis, listened but eventually said the idea was unworkable. Unaware of his well-considered opinion, the Sussexes went public with their plans.
Since nothing had been agreed, Charles was understandably upset. The Sussexes had ignored what he said and instead bet everything on their belief that the Queen would support them. This was followed by the famous Sandringham Summit convened by the Queen in January 2020 to work out what needs to be done.
The monarch was so concerned about privacy that she was advised to have the library – where the meeting was to take place – searched for bugs. There was a suggestion that Meghan should join Charles, William and Harry via video link from Canada, but the Queen decided her presence in any form was “not necessary” as Harry would be representing her. It was also thought a video link would not be secure as Charles and William could not say if the meeting was being recorded or if Meghan had someone listening while they spoke.
The Sussexes didn’t get what they wanted, of course; They had played their game and lost. No longer royal, they moved to California and began signing multi-million dollar deals with Netflix and other companies. There have even been reports that Meghan is considering running for President of the United States.
The Sussexes’ interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 marked a terrifying new low in Harry’s relationship with his father and brother.
The Sussexes’ interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 marked a terrifying new low in Harry’s relationship with his father and brother
As a result, William went to his father and told him that the royal family needed a clear strategy in dealing with the renegade royals. Karl agreed.
From then on, Harry’s father and brother decided they would no longer treat him as a trusted – if often annoying – member of the family. In short, they would never meet Harry alone again. There should always be one other person in the room.
Not only had Harry strongly implied to Oprah that a family member was racist, but he had the gall to claim that his father and brother knew they were “trapped” in their royal roles – “and I have great sympathy for that.” , he had added, twisting the knife.
Both Charles and William were extremely annoyed at Harry’s arrogance, appalled at his lack of discretion and angry that he had had the audacity to speak out about their alleged feelings.
Or, as a senior source in the royal household put it more tactfully: “They were both deeply disappointed in him. He had neither the right nor the authority to speak on her behalf.’
There was no meaningful conversation when Harry reunited with his brother and father at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was no meaningful conversation when Harry reunited with his brother and father at Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. There was also no attempt at rapprochement when Harry joined his brother for the unveiling of a statue of their mother at Kensington Palace on July 1, 2021. However, the Queen did meet Harry and Meghan at Windsor Castle when they were en route to The Hague in April 2022 made a stopover for the Invictus Games. She had agreed to see her grandson on the condition that he also met and spoke to his father.
The couple were greeted warmly by the Queen in what turned out to be the last time Harry saw his grandmother. Charles was also at the castle – along with Camilla – where he interceded for his mother at the annual Maundy Thursday service.
To add insult to injury, Harry and Meghan showed up late, meaning the meeting with Prince Charles lasted less than 15 minutes.
It was agreed that the Sussexes would later join the rest of the royal family for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
Harry and Meghan duly arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral on June 3 for the Queen’s National Thanksgiving Service
Still, in a spirit of reconciliation, it was agreed that the Sussexes would later join the rest of the royal family for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. Again, there was one stipulation: the Netflix film crew who accompanied her would not be allowed access to royal palaces or family members.
Harry and Meghan duly arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral on June 3 for the Queen’s National Thanksgiving Service (which she was unable to attend). They were booed by some in the large crowd.
If the news hadn’t broken through yet, the couple could no longer doubt that they were misfits, no longer part of the enchanted circle of the British royal family.
- Adapted from Robert Jobson’s ‘Our King: Charles III – The Man And The Monarch Revealed’, to be published by John Blake on April 13 for £22. © Robert Jobson 2023. To order a copy for £18.70 (offer valid until 9 May 2023; UK P&P free on orders over £20), visit mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937 .