NEED TO KNOW
- The Prince and Princess of Wales have been estranged from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for several years.
- But now that Prince Harry and Meghan are back in the UK, Princess Kate is considering offering them an olive branch.
- The foursome are unlikely to become close again – but a peace plan, brokered by Kate, is on the table.
As the fallout of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s return to the UK continues, New Idea has learnt that one member of the royal family is determined to broker a tentative peace deal with Prince Harry and Meghan.
Incredibly, that royal is the Princess of Wales.
“Kate can’t forgive or forget how Harry and Meghan have treated her over the past few years,” our royal insider explains.
“But for the sake of peace, she is open to having an informal meeting with Harry to discuss the way forward. A Kate-Harry peace plan is on the cards.”
In his 2023 memoir Spare, Harry, 42, claimed that there were tensions between Kate, 44, and Meghan, 45 – and in 2021, during their interview with Oprah Winfrey, Meghan alleged that Kate made her cry while she was organising a flower girl dress for Princess Charlotte for her 2018 wedding to Harry.
“Kate was horrified to be dragged into their drama – and of course, her husband, Prince William, was infuriated,” our source says.
In the years since, the brothers have sadly become totally estranged.
But now that Harry, Meghan and their children Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five, are in the UK, potentially for years, Kate realises that she and William, as the future King and Queen, need to “rise above the Harry and Meghan problem and be gracious, at least publicly”, our source says.
That’s not to say that Kate didn’t fully support a letter, distributed on behalf of King Charles on September 7, which reiterated that Harry and Meghan remain “non-working royals” and that they must not use their titles as His and Her Royal Highness.
The letter was issued after reports emerged that Harry and Meghan hoped to rekindle their working relationships with charities and organisations in the UK.
“It’s almost certain that William would’ve pushed for that public clarification from Charles,” our source says.
“But that Charles allowed such a strongly worded edict to be released caused shock waves.”
While Kate is thought to be interested in bringing about a ceasefire between William, 44, and Harry – and is open to meeting with Harry to do so – she won’t go behind her husband’s back, our insider adds.
However, the idea was almost totally derailed when Harry and Meghan overshadowed Prince George’s first day at Eton, following their claims that they didn’t know about the release of Charles’ letter in time to respond.
“Even if Kate can pull this ceasefire off, the Waleses and Sussexes aren’t going to be sharing family dinners any time soon,” our source says.
“But Kate is thinking bigger picture. She and William have more to lose by icing out the Sussexes – and she is quietly thinking about how a potential meeting could be the only way forward.”
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