It’s been a tough few weeks for the royal family, since losing their much-loved Queen and matriarch. And it’s clear Harry has felt the loss keenly, with the prince looking extremely emotional as he attended the funeral with wife Meghan Markle last week, amid a still-troubling feud with his father and brother. The couple flew home to California just hours later, but the situation in England is still weighing heavily on Harry, who’s told friends he’s anxious over his forthcoming book – and whether it could spell a potentially more permanent estrangement.
“Harry went home with a heavy heart,” says an insider close to the 38 year old, who quit royal life back in 2020, to move to the US with Meghan and their two children, Archie, three, and Lilibet, one. “He’s feeling lost and sad. It was a difficult few weeks in the UK, with a few embarrassing snubs from his relatives, but he also felt immensely proud to be British. It was an honour to be part of such a unique and deeply moving tribute to Her Majesty, and it made him sad that he’s physically and emotionally so far away.”
And while the Sussexes were welcomed back into the royal family for the period of mourning and the funeral, reports last week claimed there was initially a bust-up between Harry and his dad, after he wouldn’t allow Meghan to fly to Balmoral with Harry on the day the Queen died. The ensuing row meant Harry missed his flight to Scotland and arrived after the monarch’s death had been announced – and a furious Harry then refused to sit down for dinner with his brother and the King that night. The couple quietly left England for their $14million home in Montecito one day after the funeral. Insiders say that, naturally, they missed their children, but add that Harry was hoping to spend a couple more days with his family.
“Harry didn’t want to argue with Meghan – and she’d had enough of what she calls the ‘bad vibes’ – but, ideally, he would have liked to fly the kids over and extend their stay, so he could spend more time with his father and try to mend things with William. There’s so much unfinished business between them, and Harry’s struggling with the situation. But Meghan doesn’t feel the same and they’re in different places about it right now.”
Not helping matters is the imminent tell-all book the Prince confirmed he was writing last year. It was due to be published this autumn, but reports suggest Harry has pushed it back until 2023 over fears of upsetting his family yet again so soon after the Queen’s death. Questions were raised over the memoir last week when Vanity Fair’s royal correspondent Katie Nicholl released book The New Royals, claiming King Charles III is seriously concerned about what his second-born will say. In fact, the 73 year old is alleged to be waiting for the memoir’s release before he decides if Archie and Lilibet will be given royal titles.”
But it’s not just this book that the King has to worry about. As part of Meghan and Harry’s $100million deal with Netflix, and their $25million arrangement with Spotify, there are TV shows, documentaries and yet more podcasts in the works. It follows multiple bombshell interviews from Meghan, 41, as well as damning comments on her podcast Archetypes about her experience of the royals after marrying Harry in 2018. The former Suits star recently warned, “I can say anything,” adding, “It takes a lot of effort to forgive… [I’m] still healing.”
And while Meghan is struggling to forgive and forget, we’re told Harry hasn’t given up on a reconciliation yet. “He intends to come back to the UK before Christmas – most likely alone,” says heat’s insider. “He wants to sit down with the King and his brother, and call a truce. He’s hopeful that his father will compromise, so he and Meghan can still be part of the royal family, while doing their own thing in the US. Time will tell if Charles is open to it and if Meghan is willing to try, but Harry is hopeful he can repair these broken relationships and heal the wounds of the past.”