Prince William might send a “text message or email” to his brother Prince Harry as a gesture of reconciliation before his 39th birthday on September 15.
The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle have had a strained relationship with the rest of the royal family since they quit their official roles and moved to California. The tension escalated after their explosive interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021 and the publication of Harry’s memoir, Spare, in early 2023.
But the former butler of King Charles III, who succeeded Elizabeth II after her death in 2022, has some hope for a positive change. Grant Harrold, who worked for King Charles for seven years, told Slingo that this is an ideal time for Prince William and King Charles to “check in” with Harry, despite the “damage that has already been done”. He said: “I hope they do reach out. I’d like to think William would pick up the phone to wish him a happy birthday.
“But you never know. We will probably never know. It would be the opportunity for his dad to reach out, and offer an olive branch. It’s the perfect time for them to check in and I would hope that Harry would do the same to them on their birthdays.”
Mr Harrold said that the royal family did not post anything on social media for Meghan’s birthday in August because she is no longer a working royal. He also thinks that Harry might be feeling “sad” as he remembers his family and his late grandmother, Elizabeth II.
He added: “Family is going to be at the forefront of his mind. I think there will be a part of him feeling sad and thinking about everything that has happened. Family has always been a big thing to Harry. William and Kate are also in Balmoral with Charles now, and Harry used to be going up there every summer. So that will be playing a big part in what he’s thinking. He will be missing out on that.”
Harry is getting ready for his journey back to the UK to attend the WellChild Awards, where he is a patron. This will be his third visit to his home country this year, after he flew over to witness his father’s coronation in May, and came back again a month later for a legal matter.
Paul Burrell, who was close to Harry’s mother Princess Diana, said there is no hope of Harry meeting the King, who is still angry with him for insulting his “wicked stepmother”, Camilla. Burrell told the Mirror exclusively: “I don’t think there is going to be any meeting.
“These talks were whispered at Prince Phillip’s funeral. There were whispers at the Platinum Jubilee. They were whispered at the Queen’s funeral. They’re whispering now. It’s not going to happen.”