Prince Harry is hoping for a reconciliation with his family, but a royal expert has claimed that the Duke of Sussex’s “unrealistic” hopes are actually causing him to face a “crisis”
Prince Harry set for more heartache as he and Meghan at odds over royal reconciliation(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Prince Harry may face further distress amid his ongoing High Court dispute over security and concerns about his former charity, Sentebale. The Duke of Sussex is reportedly considering a reconciliation with his family after the fallout with his brother, Prince William, and father, King Charles.
However, royal expert and Prince Harry biographer Tom Bower, who is working on a new explosive book about Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, has labelled these hopes as ‘unrealistic’. Speaking to the Mirror, he disclosed plans for his upcoming book documenting the couple’s current crisis, Tom stated: “He’s stuck out in California and clinging on to his royal status, as is she.
“Plus, Harry’s thinking is of ‘reconciliation’. That’s just totally unrealistic. There is zero chance of reconciliation because there is irreconcilable anger on the part of William and Kate.”
Tom, whose previous book on the couple, titled Revenge, became a bestseller following its release in 2022, added that recent events have deeply affected Harry. He commented: “They have both been wounded, and what’s fascinating about them is they don’t stop fighting back. And the fight back is just as important as their survival. This battle for survival and the fight for revenge is increasing by the week.”
The author has suggested that while Prince Harry is keen on mending fences, Meghan Markle has different aspirations. “They have a crisis, because Meghan wants to be a billionaire celebrity and Harry doesn’t understand that world. He just literally can’t understand it, other than [understanding that] Meghan wants to be famous and not in the media all the time,” he explained.
The family were once tight-knit(Image: Press Association)
“He doesn’t understand what it entails… because he’s spent his whole life never having a penny in his pocket. He’s never regularly travelled on the tube, never had to worry about having a car or a job. So he doesn’t understand where she’s coming from, which is that she worked phenomenally hard, struggled hard, and was constantly humiliated, and wants the security of finance and status. She hasn’t got the status that she craves. She is a Duchess. [But] She hasn’t got the pulling power.”
The relationship between Prince Harry, Prince William, and King Charles deteriorated rapidly following Harry’s relocation to the US, after he declared his intention to step back from his duties as a senior working member of the Royal Family in 2020.
After stepping back from royal duties, Harry and Meghan participated in a revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey. They also featured in a Netflix documentary detailing their departure from the Royal Family, and Harry released his bombshell memoir.
In it, he recounts an altercation with his brother William, 42, who allegedly called Meghan “difficult”, “rude” and “abrasive” – echoing what Harry termed as “parrot[ing] the press narrative”.
Harry then claimed that during this confrontation, William: “Grabbed me by the collar, ripping my necklace, and … knocked me to the floor.”
While promoting his book, the Duke of Sussex expressed his desire to reconcile with his brother and father, though it seems their relationship remains strained.
Earlier this month, Harry voiced his concerns when his “worst fears were confirmed” regarding changes to his taxpayer-funded police protection, amidst his ongoing legal dispute over security arrangements.
The Duke is contesting the Home Office’s decision made by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which affects the level of protection he receives while in the UK. Harry has stated that without adequate security, he cannot bring Meghan and their children, Archie and Lilibet, to the UK, as they do not feel safe.
During a two-day hearing at the Court of Appeal earlier this month, the Duke of Sussex remarked that “people would be shocked by what’s being held back” and lamented that his “worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case and that’s really sad”.
Adding to his troubles, he recently stepped down as patron of Sentebale, a charity dedicated to supporting young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those affected by HIV and AIDS. Prince Harry co-founded the charity in memory of his mother, Princess Diana, in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
However, Sentebale has been embroiled in internal strife following a contentious exchange with its chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka.
Join the Daily Record’s WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.