A SECRET peace summit held last week gave royal fans hope that the frosty relationship between Prince Harry and King Charles could be about to thaw.
However, royal experts have since claimed that their senior aides meeting will not resolve The Sussexes’ bitter royal feud.
There may have been talks between King Charles and Prince Harry’s aides, but a reconciliation is far off, according to experts[/caption]
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have criticised the royal family after stepping down from duties in 2020[/caption]
Both men’s aides held secret peace talks at a London private members’ club, according to the Mail on Sunday.
It was hailed as the first step towards a “rapprochement process” between Harry, 40, and the rest of the Royal Family, but some experts aren’t so sure.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, former Royal Correspondent for The Times, Valentine Lowe said a reconciliation is not yet on the cards.
He shared: “I don’t think we’re in another mini battle, but I certainly don’t think war’s ended.
“I mean, as long as Harry’s got breath in his body, war is likely to continue.
“I think this was just an attempt to bring the temperature down a little bit, to stop those stupid stories that appear when Harry does something, when another member of the Royal Family’s also doing something, and people start speculating that it was an attempt to take their thunder.
“I think it was trying to open up lines of communication so that sort of thing doesn’t happen so often.”
The British monarchy has spent years dealing with the fallout of Prince Harry’s decision to marry former actress Meghan Markle after the two hit out at the family and stepped down as senior royals in 2020.
Harry has remained distant to King Charles and Prince William ever since he moved to the US alongside the mother to his two young children.
Royal Correspondent Sarah Hewson agreed that we are unlikely to see Prince Harry and King Charles having lengthy meet ups when they are in the same country.
She added: “On his [Harry’s] previous visits, there hasn’t been any kind of meeting with his father.
“The last time he was able to see his father was just after the King’s cancer diagnosis, when Harry jetted in briefly from California for that, what, 30 minute, 40 minute meeting at Clarence House.
“I mean, I think it would be a very positive step if we can see that between father and son.”
I don’t think we’re in another mini battle, but I certainly don’t think war’s ended. I mean, as long as Harry’s got breath in his body, war is likely to continue
Valentine Lowe
She added that this meeting was held by communications secretaries rather than the private secretaries, who are “far closer.”
Sarah pointed out that Prince Harry will be visiting the UK in September, for a series of British-based charity engagements.
In addition to this, he will be holding his Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027.
The royal expert shared: “That is definitely a date in the future where I think we need to see some kind of rapprochement between them, because otherwise we’re going to have some incredibly awkward optics going on.”
Harry is hosting the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham[/caption]
ROYAL SUMMIT
At least three representatives from either side were seen speaking at the Royal Over-Seas League which sits just three minutes from Clarence House.
It is unclear which side initiated the summit.
Harry was represented by his chief communications officer and head of his household in Montecito, California, Meredith Maines.
She is said to have flown in from Los Angeles specially for the talks.
Liam Maguire, head of the Sussexes’ PR team in the UK, was also present.
The King was represented by his communications secretary Tobyn Andreae.
The details of the conversation have remained private with Ms Maines jetting back to the US as soon as the meeting ended.
FAMILY HURT
The Duke of Sussex has claimed he wants to reconcile with his family[/caption]
This follows Harry saying a reconciliation with his family lies in Charles’ hands.
In his bombshell BBC interview the Duke even said: “I would like to get my father and brother back.”
Harry opened up a number of wounds when he spoke to US talk show host Oprah Winfrey alongside his new wife about how Meghan was allegedly treated during her time as part of the family.
Meghan claimed she was left suicidal due to how she was treated as Harry said that questions were raised about the colour of their child’s skin colour by other royals.
The Prince would also publish his bombshell book Spare in 2023 after moving to California which stirred up further controversies.
Harry’s Spare memoir criticised his family[/caption]
Ever since, Harry has been left out in the cold by his fellow hardworking royals.
He reportedly hasn’t seen Charles in years with his last direct communication with brother William coming in 2022.
The feuding brothers reportedly didn’t even speak to each other despite standing “virtually back to back” among mourners at their uncle’s memorial service last year.
Inside Prince William and Prince Harry’s ‘feud’
TENSIONS have been running high in the royal family since Prince Harry stepped down from royal duties in 2020 and relocated to California with Meghan Markle.
Their last reported interaction was during the funeral of their grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September 2022, but conversations were said to be brief.
The feuding brothers reportedly did not speak to each other despite standing “virtually back to back” among mourners at their uncle’s memorial service last year.
Growing up, Wills and Harry shared many of the same friends who were part of their close, tight-knit circle.
But their relationship took a sour turn after Harry lobbed vile allegations against the Prince of Wales in his memoir Spare – and they are said to have not been in direct contact since the 2023 release.
In the book, he claimed William had physically attacked him and knocked him to the floor in 2019 and made insulting comments about Meghan.
The Sussexes had also targeted Princess Kate, when Meghan claimed the royal made her cry.
The bitter feud was ignited when the Sussexes told Oprah, in their 2021 sit down interview, that certain members of the Royal Family had speculated about Prince Archie’s skin colour.
It was later claimed the royals were Princess Kate and King Charles, after Harry and Meghan’s former pal Omid Scobie published his hatchet-job book Endgame.
During the infamous Oprah interview, the duchess also made stinging comments about the Firm and how they handled her mental health struggles.
Prince William and Harry’s bond then worsened after the Sussexes made a number of accusations against the Royal Family in their 2022 Netflix docuseries.
The duke has given subsequent interviews, such as his most BBC chat in May 2025, that have only propelled bad blood.
