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"I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore.” That is one of the things Prince Harry said this past May in a BBC interview where he opened up after losing the legal battle over his security in the UK. His words now feel prophetic because after five years of physical and emotional distance, reconciliation seems closer than ever.
King Charles's advisors and the Sussexes’ team have been having private talks in London, which have helped ease tensions. Details of those talks have now come out, including one key point: a peace offering from the monarch’s younger son.
Two weeks ago, the King's communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae, was photographed at a London club with the Sussexes’ communications director, Meredith Maines, who flew in from Los Angeles for the meeting. Liam Maguire, who manages the couple's public relations in the UK, joined them. According to the Daily Mail, a source revealed that the meeting was described as informal, more of a casual get-together over drinks, with both parties having topics they wanted to discuss. That step forward has sparked talk that the meeting could be the beginning of a new chapter for the British Royal Family, “a significant milestone.” To achieve the peace that once seemed impossible, the fifth in line to the throne has made a proposal.
A proposal for peace: Harry’s new Approach
Prince Harry has come up with an idea to share the details of his schedule with the Windsors in an effort to close the gap with the Royal Family and gradually ease tensions. In this way, according to The Mail on Sunday, he could avoid the clashes and overlapping events that have occurred several times before. The most recent incident occurred just this month, when Prince Harry was in Angola retracing the steps of Princess Diana shortly before her tragic death. British media covered the trip, which somewhat overshadowed Queen Camilla’s 78th birthday.
It seems Prince Harry is willing to create a schedule of his upcoming activities and share that plan with both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace, which include the King, Queen, Prince of Wales, and Princess of Wales. By giving advance notice of his movements, Prince Harry could facilitate a meeting between the Sussexes and members of the British Royal Family. It is worth noting that the monarch and his younger son last saw each other in February of last year, when King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer, and the brothers were last together exactly twelve months ago at the funeral of Lord Robert Fellowes, their maternal great-uncle.
Distance remains, but so does the dialogue
When Prince Harry settled in California with Meghan Markle and little Archie Harrison (their daughter had not yet been born), he made it clear they wanted to take control of their public life, become financially independent, and build their own agenda around the causes they believe in. Despite their efforts, the British Royal Family often viewed many of their public appearances as direct challenges. Now, it seems Harry is ready to shift course. The plan would create more transparency around the Duke of Sussex’s upcoming appearances, helping prevent overlaps or clashes between Harry and Meghan Markle’s public activities and official royal events.
Only time will tell if this move actually brings the family closer together, regardless of the physical distance. The Sussexes have no plans to leave California, where they have been fully settled since 2020. News broke in recent days that they lost one of their biggest deals—the one they signed with Netflix for 92 million euros. That contract will not be renewed in September after completing five projects with the streaming giant.