Royal Rapprochement: The Secret Summit That May Mend the Windsor Rift
THE ROYAL REUNION: KING CHARLES AND PRINCE HARRY TAKE THE FIRST STEPS TOWARDS MENDING THEIR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP
In a shocking turn of events, sources close to the Royal Family have revealed that King Charles and Prince Harry's senior aides held a secret peace summit last week at a posh London private members' club. The meeting marked the first significant move towards resolving their long-standing family feud.
According to insiders, the talks were held in a "spirit of rapprochement" to restore the broken relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the rest of the Royal Family. But what's even more intriguing is that it was neither Charles nor Harry who extended the olive branch first – at least, not publicly.
The summit took place at the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL), a Grade I-listed club that champions international friendship and understanding. It's an apt choice of venue, considering its patron is none other than King Charles himself. The meeting was held on Wednesday, with Prince Harry represented by his chief communications officer and head of household, Meredith Maines.
Maines, a seasoned Silicon Valley strategist, flew in from Los Angeles to join the talks. She met Tobyn Andreae, King Charles's communications secretary, at ROSL, a mere three-minute walk from Clarence House, the monarch's London residence. Liam Maguire, who runs the Sussexes' PR team in the UK, was also present.
The trio were seen chatting over drinks on the club's first-floor garden terrace, enjoying the 26C sunshine overlooking Green Park. After ten minutes, they retreated inside to continue their discussions. Sources claim that the summit was just the "first step towards reconciliation between Harry and his father," but it's a vital one nonetheless.
It's worth noting that Maines is not only Harry's chief communications officer but also oversees a team of eight staff members at the Sussexes' £15 million mansion in Montecito, California. Her role is to manage their day-to-day operations, and she was instrumental in masterminding Meghan's Netflix show With Love, Meghan and her lifestyle brand As Ever.
Maguire, another key player in the talks, has worked on projects associated with the Invictus Games for wounded service personnel since Harry launched it in 2014. The Duke's decision to extend an olive branch to the Royal Family is seen as a significant move towards mending their broken relationship.
The Windsor feud began shortly after Harry and Meghan moved to California and gave an explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey in March 2021. The Duchess described approaching Harry and the Royal Family, seeking help with suicidal thoughts during her pregnancy. She claimed that she asked a senior royal about seeking help but was told it wouldn't be possible because "it wouldn't be good for the institution."
Harry further claimed that while his wife was pregnant, a member of his family had expressed concerns to him about the baby's skin color. The Royal Family responded with expressions of empathy, couched in the now-infamous line: "Recollections may vary." Last year, The Scholarly Note revealed that the Duke of Sussex had begun consulting with old friends from the UK about how to mastermind a return from exile.
At the time, sources said that Harry was consulting with people "from his old life" as a working royal after allegedly growing dissatisfied with advice from American-based image experts. The overtures signified the first stage in a strategy to "rehabilitate" Harry that he hoped would involve him spending more time in the UK to repair his relationship with his father.
But during his BBC interview, the Duke expressed uncertainty about "how much longer my father has left," sparking criticism for fuelling speculation about the 76-year-old monarch's health. Harry admitted that he didn't 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 rapprochement, saying, "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight any more." Last month, The Scholarly Note revealed that the Duke of Sussex had decided to extend an olive branch to the Royal Family by inviting them to the 2027 Invictus Games, which will be held in Birmingham.
He is said to be hopeful that the event could spell the end of his self-imposed exile in California and mark a return to the royal fold. Meanwhile, there are still hurdles to overcome with Harry's Home Office battle over security. After stepping back from royal duties in 2020, Harry lost his automatic taxpayer-funded police protection, but has fiercely contested the decision, insisting that he and his family are at risk whenever they visit the UK.
He maintains that if his father would only "step out of the way," he could get his police protection back. In the BBC interview, Harry accused his father of standing in the way of his fight for protection. The issue became emblematic of the deep mistrust that now defines his relationship with his father and the wider royal household – but which may now, finally, be beginning to thaw.
While neither Buckingham Palace nor the Sussex's representatives would comment on the meeting, sources close to the Royal Family are hopeful that this is just the start of a long-overdue reconciliation. As one insider put it: "There's a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in years."
