King Charles (left) and Prince Harry, his youngest son, are said to have had troubled relations in recent years. Photo / WireImage
King Charles (left) and Prince Harry, his youngest son, are said to have had troubled relations in recent years. Photo / WireImage
Senior aides working for the King and Prince Harry have taken the first steps towards rapprochement by holding “peace talks” in London.
The meeting at a private members’ club was an extraordinary development in relations between the two households, which in recent years have had little interaction.
Meredith Maines, theDuke’s new chief communications officer based in California, was joined at the meeting by Liam Maguire, who runs the Sussexes’ UK-based PR operation, and Tobyn Andreae, the King’s communications secretary.
A source told the Mail on Sunday: “There’s a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in years.
“There was no formal agenda, just casual drinks. There were things both sides wanted to talk about.”
The Duke added: “Forgiveness is 100% a possibility because I would like to get my father and brother back.”
The peace summit on Wednesday was a line in the sand, demonstrating that both sides were keen to move beyond the current froideur.
It was held at the Royal Over-Seas League, a stone’s throw from Clarence House.
Maines and Maguire arrived by taxi at 3.50pm, followed by Andreae, who appeared to be carrying a gift from Berry Bros and Rudd, the wine and spirits merchant.
The trio were photographed chatting over drinks on the club’s first-floor garden terrace, overlooking Green Park, before moving inside.
All involved were said to recognise that there is a long road ahead, with distrust on both sides.
The source described the summit as only the “first step towards reconciliation between Harry and his father, but at least it is a step in the right direction”.
They added: “Everyone just wants to move on and move forward now. It was finally the right time for the two sides to talk.”
One potential opportunity for a public reconciliation, which is being discussed in both London and California, is the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.
Liam McGuire (top left), who runs the Sussexes’ UK PR operations, at the 2018 Invictus Games with the Sussexes. Photo / Getty Images
The Duke is said to have sent email invitations to Buckingham Palace in the hope that would give the King sufficient time to slot the event into his schedule.
His potential attendance is being considered by senior palace aides, aware that the Games could prove a timely opportunity to mend bridges.
The feud between the two sides developed when the Sussexes left royal duties to start a new life abroad.
The furious negotiations that took place as the terms of their “exit deal” were thrashed out behind closed doors left bad blood on both sides.
Damaging allegations
Senior members of the royal family were devastated by the damaging racism allegations, intimate family revelations, text messages and conversations shared in the Sussexes’ many subsequent television interviews and in Spare, Prince Harry’s memoir.
They became “wary” of talking to the Duke and Duchess in case their words were repeated in public.
Prince William, in particular, was angry about how his wife had been portrayed and was “mortified” that his brother had betrayed them for commercial gain.
When the King was diagnosed with cancer in January 2023, Prince Harry was shaken enough to make a transatlantic dash to see his father.
But the Duke’s decision to take on the Government in the High Court over his access to state-funded police protection deepened the rift.
The lengthy legal row caused huge concern at Buckingham Palace, not least after the Duke made clear he believed the King could intervene on his behalf to help broker a suitable arrangement.
The King was said to have been so worried about being dragged into the case that he was hesitant to engage with his younger son in case his words were repeated in public, placing him in legal jeopardy.
Harry lost his appeal in May, drawing a line under the legal spectacle.
In an emotional interview with the BBC following the ruling, he railed against his father and complained of an “establishment stitch-up”.
Harry admitted that he did not expect forgiveness across the board from his family, saying: “Of course, some members of my family will never forgive me for writing a book. Of course, they will never forgive me for ... lots of things.”
Despite this, he expressed a clear desire for a rapprochement, saying: “I would love reconciliation with my family.”
Neither Buckingham Palace nor representatives for the Sussexes would comment on the meeting.
