Since he and Meghan Markle formally exited the British royal family, Harry has only made a handful of visits to the UK.
His most recent trip in February included a brief meeting with his father, King Charles, which allegedly enraged Camilla who wasn’t happy with the fact Harry met Charles without the Palace’s approval. The Duke hasn’t met his brother, Prince William, nor his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton.
The truth is that the relationship between the Sussexes and the rest of the royals is still a rocky one. In fact, bridges have been burnt with each interview, series, or book Harry and Meghan released. This is the reason why doubt the possibility of reconciliation, citing the gravity of the allegations against the royal family. Despite this, there are indications that Kate Middleton might consider reuniting with Harry under certain conditions.
At the time being, the royal family is experiencing a rather difficult time as both King Charles and Kate Middleton are fighting their battles with cancer.
The King was diagnosed with cancer following a surgery for enlarged prostate, which was shortly after Kate had undergone her planned abdominal surgery.
She spent around two weeks at the London hospital, which raised a red flag because the stay seemed relatively long for something not serious. What followed was a turbulent time during which Kate was nowhere to be seen, which prompted speculations regarding her health and whereabouts to fill the media.
Then, on March 22, Kate decided to put a stop to the rumors and addressed the nation revealing her cancer diagnosis.
“As you can imagine, this has taken time. It has taken me time to recover from major surgery in order to start my treatment. But, most importantly, it has taken us time to explain everything to George, Charlotte and Louis in a way that is appropriate for them, and to reassure them that I am going to be ok,” Kate Middleton said in the video.
She then assured the public that she was “well” and “getting stronger every day.”
Harry and Meghan were said to have contacted Kate twice, once following her surgery and the second time after they learned of her cancer diagnosis, which many believe was at the same time as the public through the video she posted.
Harry, who used to be very close to Kate, was said to be in a “painful place” and that he regrets writing about the Princess of Wales in his book Spare.
“When you do discover that your sister-in-law has cancer and you’ve written stuff that can’t be retracted, that’s quite a painful place to be in,” royal expert Tessa Dunlop said.
“They deliberately criticize the monarchy [and then offer] themselves as an alternative to monarchy,” the royal expert added. “So then when the monarchy is in trouble, we do kind of make a comparison. Can Harry and Meghan really hold themselves off as the caring example now? They’re certainly going to have to be careful of their timing with any releases so that it doesn’t look opportunistic.”
The last time Harry and Kate met was at King Charles coronation, but according to reports, the two didn’t engage in a conversation. In fact, Harry was in a hurry and left the coronation shortly after the ceremony thus didn’t have lunch with the royals.
On May 10, the Duke will attend a special service at St Paul’s Cathedral to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, a competition in which wounded, injured, and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans, compete for their country.
“Over 500 competitors from over 20 nations compete in adaptive sports, including the new winter sports: Alpine Skiing and Snowboarding, Nordic Skiing and Biathlon, Skeleton, and Wheelchair Curling, in addition to the core Invictus Games sports of indoor rowing, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair rugby, and wheelchair basketball,” the Invictus Games website states.
With Harry returning to Britain, some believe this may be the opportunity for him to engage in discussions with the royal family, address their disagreements, and potentially seek reconciliation in some form.
Allegedly, Harry and William haven’t spoken in months, and that’s probably true for Harry and Kate as well, despite the get-well messages he and Meghan sent to the princess.
Royal expert Mark Dolan suggests that the royal family should make Prince Harry a “guest of honor” and even let him stay at the prestigious Buckingham Palace. The stay at the Palace was denied to him previously and he was forced to stay in a hotel.
“I think it is wrong that Harry won’t be staying at Buckingham Palace with his family… his other accommodation options are not great,” Dolan said on GB News as per Express, adding that the royal should “find a way back for Harry.” However, he adds that Meghan Markle most likely would want the same thing.
“In families, as in friendships, I think you should have forgiveness. I think Harry should be staying at Buckingham Palace,” Mark Dolan continued. “He should be a guest of honor. He should have more than a blink, and you will miss it with his father, who, let’s not forget, is battling cancer.
“Give up the podcasts, the tell-all books, and the salacious interviews…Harry is no angel, but it is time to welcome back Britain’s prodigal son.”
Royal expert Ingrid Seward believes that Harry’s visit would give an insight of how things really are within the royal family, but claims that a meeting between the brothers is “unlikely.”
“It is highly unlikely Harry will see his brother after the insults Harry lobbed at him and Kate in print,” Seward told Mirror.
“William has enough going on and doesn’t need the stress. But he might realize Harry will want to see Kate after her cancer diagnosis as they were once so close. It remains to be seen if Kate is willing and able to face up to it. Does she have the energy to begin to try and heal the rift between the brothers or will she prefer to remain in the background?”
Ingrid Seward concluded, “If the King asks, she will do it, but Charles, being the sensitive and understanding soul he is, would be unlikely to ask such a favor from his adored daughter-in-law. The time must be right, and it is not right now.”
Do you think Harry’s visit would result in making amends with the royal family?