Peace talks aimed at healing the rift between Prince Harry and the royal family are still possible and need to take place urgently ahead of the official coronation of King Charles III, British media outlets reported.
The coronation of Charles III is set for May 6, 2023, at Westminster Abbey in London. His wife. Camilla, Queen Consort, will also be crowned in the ceremony.
“We’ve got to move on it, and get it done by April. Then, we need to get the wives in. The King needs a clear run for the coronation," a royal source was cited as saying.
Ever since Prince Harry, 38, along with his wife, Megan Markle, stepped back from royal duties in 2020, they have fed into the spiralling tensions with Buckingham Palace by dropping so-called "truth bomps." The rift was made still worse by the Duke of Sussex shedding even more light on his fractuous relationship with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William, now Prince of Wales, in his new memoir, Spare.
However, royal insiders think that a reconciliation before King Charles is coronated is possible.
“They have to invite them in before the coronation, or it will become such a circus and distraction,” a source was quoted as saying.
Regarding healing the rift between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Buckingham Palace, insiders appear to believe that it is doable.
"It needs Harry over here, in the room with the King and Prince of Wales, a couple of other family members, some of ‘his people’ he trusts who always had his back, so he doesn’t think he’s being ambushed... Both sides need to hold their hands up and admit we didn’t get everything right, and we got a lot wrong, and we have to say to him ‘We understand the pain you’ve been through’. The King can do it..," a source stated.
Insiders insisted that while it was "going to take flexibility on all sides," nevertheless, it could be achieved, and the situation was "fixable."
14 January 2023, 08:34 GMT
Prince Harry's brother, William, Prince of Wales, was described as "burning inside" over comments made in Spare, but reportedly realized the need for reconciliation for the sake of the monarchy.
"He is loyal to the throne and understands what needs to be done for the country," said one insider, adding that this rift-mending could only happen if Prince Harry was ready to show some accountability, too.
"Not everyone here behaved well, but Harry’s got to be able to sit down and say ‘we didn’t behave well either’. That takes a lot of academic flexibility, which Harry isn’t great at,” the source said.
Looking ahead, royal insiders think that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who earlier released a six-part Netflix docuseries about their exit from royal life, will be asked by the palace to "be quiet and get on" with their lives.
“Harry has got to realise that it might all go down better there, but here in the UK, people have taken it very badly. You’ve said your piece, but why are you trying to torch the whole house?” said insiders.