Talks for reconciliation

[LadyJaneGrey18]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-14899657/King-Charles-Prince-Harry-aides-meet-London-secret-peace-summit.html

What to make of this??

I find her endlessly fascinating. She is a middle-aged woman, supposedly living her best life, she went NC with her in-laws five years ago after knowing them only briefly. She lives thousands of miles away from them, on a different continent. And yet she can’t let a birthday photo of gap-toothed Louis go by without immediately needing to mention Archie losing a tooth. It’s absolutely bizarre but compelling to see this kind of ‘elevenerife’ behaviour played out in public. She must be so desperately insecure to still be measuring herself against the RF, but apparently also has an enormous ego, a very high opinion of herself, and very little self-awareness. She sends gifts to friends and signs the note HRH! Just so interesting.

It's interesting. I don't think the RF have / had anything to gain by leaking the meeting. They had plenty of positive press last week: the French visit, Wimbledon and their approach so far has been to ignore H&M and never to explain or complain, despite extreme provocation (Oprah, Spare, Netflix etc)

H&M otoh are probably interested in:

a) Gauging public opinion on a return. I'd suggest they don't need a meeting for that, the majority of the British public dislike them based on the data here -
https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/52165-royal-favourability-trackers-may-2025

b) Reconciling with the RF if it means they're financially supported, get security paid, are integrated as part of the BRF again

If there was something seriously physically or mentally wrong with Harry (other than the stuff we already know about, paranoia etc) it would be managed privately, it wouldn't be Meredith attending a meeting which was photographed.

IMO the meeting was set up by and leaked by H&M. Charles must have known it was taking place but I doubt he wanted it publicised. And if they did leak it, yet again they have proven themselves untrustworthy.

If Charles as a father wants his son back in his life, then he has a lot to gain from finding a way to make that happen. If he needs to manage the tension between William and Harry, then dripping the idea of a reconciliation between Charles and Harry slowly so he can gauge William’s reaction (and the public reaction!) makes sense.

Charles has kept his brother close, has done quite a lot of work /allowed his team to work on rehabilitating Andrew’s reputation- why do so many posters assume someone who’d been so forgiving of his brother would find his son’s behaviour beyond the pale?

We also don’t know what was left out of the Spare book. Charles -and possibly William - might still have a lot to gain from rebuilding bridges.

Andrew? I'm glad you brought him up, @FancyBiscuitsLevel That's very interesting, isn't it? The Sussexes have always been close to the Yorks.
Of all the people in the RF that Harry has criticised, lied about and invaded the privacy of, Andrew has been left alone?
I do wonder why.🤔

There is also no way of knowing if Harry is being played. I could imagine there has been other private meetings that have remained private. Trust funds, the late Queens will and maybe provisions for the children education. Since the change of staff Harry had the disastrous interview arranged by Meredith and now a private, but not so private meeting papped with Meredith angled very well in the photographs. Does Harry even know which side is leaking? My view of William would go down if he allowed the privacy of his children to be compromised, never mind Catherine's. William has everything to lose with reconciliation and not much to gain.

I share your fascination @NormaMajors1992coat, she’s fascinating and interesting for all the wrong reasons but that doesn’t make her less so. A little like the difference between famous and infamous.

@TheStroppyFeminist if it was a test to gauge public reaction, I think both parties now have a clear understanding if they didn’t before, that public opinion is generally not supportive of the couple coming back into the family in any kind of formal or working capacity. They will not be welcomed back as working royals and people don’t trust them.

@Vespanest I would say that Harry definitely is being played and has been for a long time. (Going back to M being a master manipulator). Whether he realises this is another matter.

I actually don't think Meghan is as tough as she likes to.portray . If her stories are to be believed ( big IF) she said she was going to hit the ground running when she married Harry when in fact she was more likely to be collapsed on the floor sobbing and threatening suicide. Harry lays all this out himself in Spare. She fell apart about 5 minutes into the marriage.
And whenever you see M in public appearances she is constantly clinging to people, most often H but if he is not available she holds hands with female friends etc. She looks like a lost child at times and is v socially awkward.
She is certainly a v fascinating personality full of contradictions.

I think his attitude of being bankrolled form birth is exactly what the appeal is. She thought she and her children were on a safe wicket for life. She thought she’d never have to worry about money again. Honestly she wouldn’t have to worry about money again either if she was prepared to live a quieter life without all the expense and show.

I wonder why she feels she has to portray this tough outer shell? Throwing her weight around, bullying people and using her title at every opportunity.

None so blind as those who will not see.

@flapjackfairy you have a very good point here. The crux of the issue is that, how much do we believe. She looked so happy and healthy in New York at her baby shower, days after claiming that she was struggling with suicidal ideation and I’m not even sure how she gained entry into the US when she claims that she didn’t see her passport again until the freedom flight. Either way, it was a stellar act if she felt so awful and yet duped everyone into thinking she was having the best time in New York with her friends celebrating.
Tear in left eye and all that.

Whatever Katherine does is news - soft news but Royals sell. Combine that with Wimbledon, followed by millions, and you end up with a nice woman in a nice frock being nice to sportspeople. Opium of the massese, as ever.

This is a little unfair. Many, many people appear completely happy/normal right before they take their own life. Gary Speed, as just one example, was presenting on tv and arranging golfing holidays with his mates the day before he killed himself.

To be fair, he doesn't have time to be Michael Middleton. Heading towards 80 and still working full time whilst undergoing cancer treatment.

It's nice to see that he clearly has a pretty good relationship with his UK based GC, as you can see from the occasions when they are together - Louis wanting to sit on his lap etc.

You are misunderstanding my point. I’m not saying one way or the other. I’m not saying that she wasn’t suicidal. But she manipulates people and is tougher than she looks. She will easily be able to play being vulnerable. That doesn’t make her weak/not strong, it makes her manipulative.

If he needs to manage the tension between William and Harry,

There is no tension between William and Harry. They're long past that stage in their relationship. They live on separate continents and have barely spoken in over 5 years. It's a shame but siblings fall out. They have their own families and completely different lives now, so even if they were on good terms they'd only see each other a few times a year at most. And in terms of the 'family business' the past 5 years have shown that Harry simply isn't needed.

We also don’t know what was left out of the Spare book. Charles -and possibly William - might still have a lot to gain from rebuilding bridges.

Yeah, because threatening blackmail is really the way to achieve family reconciliation.

Mind you, if you put it that way, Harry might be the one with something to fear from public revelations. He's not purer than the driven snow himself.

@ajandjjmum I agree with you.

The picture of Louis on Grandpas lap made it very obvious that Louis was very used to being on it.

And I can recall the Queen saying that the King reads to all of the grandchildren and he can do all of the voices in Harry Potter.

On a personal level, I think anyone would want to see an increasingly elderly man (Charles is 76) having at least a cordial relationship with his children and grandchildren. That is probably a separate issue from two brothers having a relationship with each other

I get this, @KassandraOfSparta, but if Charles chooses to indulge himself with some kiss-and-make-up scenario he'll be inviting one hell of a problem for William down the line - and probably not so very far down it

At this stage of the game I'd expect William to have the greater say in this, but then for all I know he may be keen to get Harry back too. Unlikely, maybe, but stranger things have happened with this bunch

And still nobody's suggested what Meghan's approach may be to a return ...

And still nobody's suggested what Meghan's approach may be to a return ...

I think she’d just front it out as if nothing had ever happened.

My theory is on Harry having a bit of a wobble, maybe even Meghan too, having finally realised what a mess they’ve made (and maybe even some realisation of how badly they have behaved)…. To be honest that would make anyone feel rather crap….but rather than own their mistakes they’ll label their guilt/possible remorse (if they have capacity for that) as ‘mental wellbeing’ issues and everyone will be expected to be sympathetic…

“Mind you, if you put it that way, Harry might be the one with something to fear from public revelations. He's not purer than the driven snow himself.”

Neither is Meghan !

I never said they didn’t have money, I said rumours have been circulating that they are struggling for cash, big difference.You however claim as a fact they do have money. Unless you are their accountant you literally have no idea of their financial situation, you are just musing like the rest of us.

Actually, the leak by H could serve the RF well. It protects them in the eyes of the public against a future charge from H of 'my family refuses to speak to me'. Sending aides shows they are at least willing to open dialogue. What may or my not be agreed is less important.

Like Harry did at the Coronation. Unbelievable. Swaggering down that aisle and taking his place with a family he'd just spent years trashing for money. He's got more front than Blackpool.