King Charles extended an olive branch to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex(Image: Getty Images)
King Charles has extended an olive branch to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. Tensions between the royals have been mounting since Harry and Meghan’s choice to step back as senior working royals in 2020.
In January 2020, Harry and Meghan declared they were stepping back from the firm to pursue a more independent life in the US. The Duke and Duchess expressed hope at the time to continue supporting his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth.
The following year in February, it was confirmed that the couple would cease being working members of the Royal Family whilst remaining “much-loved” members of the House of Windsor.
However, relations became strained when the Sussexes discussed their palace experiences with Oprah Winfrey, including claims about alleged racist remarks before Prince Archie’s birth.
In recent years, these tensions have eased slightly after Harry rushed to the UK within hours of learning his father was fighting cancer. The pair have since met several times, most recently last month when they shared tea at Clarence House, as reported by the Mirror.
Harry and Meghan stepped down as senior working royals back in 2020.(Image: Getty Images)
The publication has now disclosed the King’s heartfelt olive branch to the Sussexes. Like most families, Charles displays photos of his relatives throughout his homes, with one gesture indicating his eagerness to mend bridges with Harry and Meghan.
Photos obtained by the Mirror show that Charles, 76, has deliberately selected to showcase images of the Sussexes across his official Northern Irish residence, Hillsborough Castle, predominantly within the State Drawing Room. However, no photographs of his brother, the disgraced Prince Andrew, are on display.
A source revealed to the Mirror: “Royal Historic Palaces make decisions on what they believe to be appropriate. They are also guided by members of The Royal Family, but the decision over what pictures of the family to use ultimately lies with the King.”
After the King and Harry’s recent encounter, reports suggested the meeting was “distinctly formal,” with the Duke allegedly feeling treated like an “official visitor”. However, a spokesperson for the Duke rejected this, stating: “Recent reporting of The Duke’s view of the tone of the meeting is categorically false.
“The quotes attributed to him are pure invention fed, one can only assume, by sources intent on sabotaging any reconciliation between father and son. Presumably, those same sources have also chosen to disclose that gifts were exchanged.
“While we would have preferred such details to remain private, for the sake of clarity, we can confirm that a framed photograph was handed over; however, the image did not contain the Duke and Duchess.”
Although Hillsborough Castle serves as the official Royal residence in Northern Ireland, Historic Royal Palaces has overseen the estate since April 2014 and welcomes paying visitors. Located merely 20 minutes from Belfast, it has witnessed some of the most significant historical events.
These include the signing of the Anglo-Irish Agreement on November 15 1985, alongside a visit from President George W. Bush in 2003.
Just seven years later, the residence hosted then Prime Minister Gordon Brown, representatives from the Democratic Union Party, Sinn Féin and Irish Taoiseach Brian Cowen to address the Northern Ireland policing crisis.
On September 13 2022, just days following his mother’s passing, King Charles became frustrated whilst at the castle when signing a visitors’ book and realised he’d inscribed the incorrect date. However, matters grew more uncomfortable when his pen began to leak, prompting the King to exclaim: “Oh God, I hate this [pen! ]”.
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