With the princes at stalemate and relationships at crisis point, the Princess of Wales could be the Royal Family’s secret weapon, writes Emily Andrews
T he coronation is just weeks away and what should be a joyous time for King Charles is still being dogged by family fallout.
It seems an irony that only Prince Harry cannot appreciate – that while it is he who has asked for peace and privacy, it is HE who is causing all the drama.
He is still at loggerheads with his father and brother and it is my understanding that they have not spoken since the Queen’s death seven months ago, while the bitter accusations hurled from the Sussexes’ Montecito mansion still rankle.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Harry’s bombshell autobiography has torn the Royal Family in two – it was Spare that broke the camel’s back.
Bitterness and rancour
If any proof were needed of the depths to which familial relationships have fallen, Harry made a surprise visit to London last month, and as soon as he landed, his nearest and dearest seemed to be making excuses as to why they couldn’t see him.
A royal source let it be known that he’d been told his father was ‘too busy’ to see him, despite the last-minute postponement of Charles and Camilla’s state visit to France.
William and Kate were also away for the Easter school holidays with George, Charlotte and Louis.
But with just three weeks to go before the crowns and razzle-dazzle of the coronation are upon us, these issues need to be resolved.
There has to be some kind of reconciliation showdown to at least try and deal with all the bitterness and rancour in private, before it spills out onto the TV cameras in public, during what should be a celebratory weekend for the King.
During his round of publicity interviews for his book, it was reported that Harry, 38, wanted an apology from his family. When asked if he would attend the coronation, he replied, ‘The ball is in their court.’ Rather heartbreakingly, he also said, ‘I would like to get my father back. I would like to have my brother back.’
The men are at stalemate – enter the Princess of Wales. On the face of it, Kate may seem an unlikely peacemaker, although you’ll remember that Harry once described her as ‘the sister I never had’.
Despite their previously close relationship, Harry was extremely mean and petty about her in his book.
His take on the bridesmaid-dress saga, where Charlotte’s dress didn’t fit properly, painted her as demanding and rude, and he said she felt ‘on edge’ having ‘to compete’ with Meghan.
