This One Thing Is Keeping Harry From Ending the Royal Rift, Says Source
"He also wants something from the family he is unlikely to receive," an insider says.
Last week, Prince Harry made his first visit to the U.K. since he and Duchess Meghan stepped down from royal life, in order to be at Prince Philip's funeral, which the prince attended without his pregnant wife. Now, in the aftermath of returning to his home country and seeing his family for the first time in more than a year, Harry is feeling "totally torn," according to Paul Burrell, Princess Diana's former butler. His "heart is on two sides of the Atlantic," the longtime Palace staffer added.
In an interview with Closer, Burrell, who has known Harry since he was three years old and spent a decade working for Diana, said: "Harry now feels split in two. Meghan will believe that what they've done is right—but Harry will be feeling totally torn and so things will now have to change."
Therein lies the problem. A royal insider told Best Life, "Harry still feels a great deal of anger towards the Royal Family, but coming back to the U.K. for the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral after his long absence made him realize he is now very much the outsider. Even though he wants to reconcile with Prince William and Prince Charles, he also wants something from the family he is unlikely to receive."
Read on to find out the one thing that is keeping Harry from ending the royal rift that shows no sign of ending. And for more on the Sussexes' future, here is What Harry & Meghan Must Do Now That Philip Has Died, Sources Say.
Harry wants the royals to apologize to Meghan, insiders say.
Earlier this month, Mirror Online reported that Harry wanted an apology from the Royal Family over treatment of Meghan that the Sussexes found hurtful and unfair, dating back to their wedding. Now that he's back in California, a royal source told Best Life, that hasn't changed. "As much as Harry may want to heal the rift with his father and brother, he still very much believes that the family still owes Meghan an apology," the insider said.
In the Sussexes' interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, the prince expressed his anger over how several events involving Meghan had been mishandled and caused her a great deal of stress. He was particularly upset over an unnamed family member allegedly asking about how dark Baby Sussex's skin would be before Archie Mountbatten-Windsor was born. (Harry said he'd never reveal who asked the racist question, though he told Winfrey it was not Queen Elizabeth or Prince Philip.) Meghan also claimed it was Duchess Kate who made her cry during a wedding dress fitting, the opposite of the much-reported version of events that allegedly played out just before their wedding day. The Duchess of Sussex also said she was hurt that the family did nothing to correct the story and stand up for her in the media. Although Meghan said she'd forgiven Kate, she also noted that she had hoped the Duchess of Cambridge would have wanted the story amended as well. Meghan also revealed she had suicidal thoughts when she was pregnant with Archie, but the Palace refused to provide her with any support.
"Even though Harry has spoken to his father and brother about a way forward, he is still not satisfied," a royal source told Best Life. "He is not willing to forget about everything that's happened and it's doubtful Meghan would let it go without a direct acknowledgement from the family that everything she said did happen." And for more on who's been in Kate's corner, check out The Royal Who Stood by Kate After Harry & Meghan's Tell-All, Says Insider.
New press leaks are making it more difficult to mend the rift between Harry, William, and Charles.
A week after the tell-all aired, CBS news anchor Gayle King revealed she'd spoken to Harry on a call and he told her talks with his father and brother had been "not productive," which further angered the Duke of Cambridge and the Prince of Wales. Both William and Charles were stunned that their private conversations with Harry after the Winfrey interview were disclosed in the media.
The next time the three men talked all together was after Prince Philip's funeral. Their two-hour meeting was said to be the beginning of the road to reconciliation, but that has now come to a grinding halt. According to The Sun, royal sources told the outlet a number of articles published in the States "within hours" of Harry's return to California have shattered whatever small progress had been made during Harry's trip back to the U.K.
On Wednesday, People reported details of a private phone call between Meghan, one-year-old Archie, and the Queen that occurred before Prince Philip's funeral. At the same time, Omid Scobie, co-author of the Harry and Meghan biography Finding Freedom (who frequently acts as an unofficial spokesperson for the Sussexes), revealed Meghan had spoken to the Queen twice. Scobie quoted sources as saying: "Saturday broke the ice for future conversations but outstanding issues have not been addressed at any great length. The family simply put their issues to one side to focus on what mattered." However, it was later revealed that little progress had been made during Harry's visit.
"The biggest obstacle to a reconciliation with William and Charles' was their concern that everything that's done or said in private is leaked to the media by the Sussex camp," a source told Best Life. "Now it appears that's happened again." And for more royals news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter.
Any further discord between Harry and the Royal Family "could prove disastrous," a source says.
After seeing members of his family at his grandfather's funeral, Harry learned that many of them are still angry, believing he betrayed the Queen's trust and damaged the Royal Family with his tell-all interview.
The less-than-warm reception the prince received was "awkward and unsettling" for Harry, said a Palace insider. "Even though he had been in touch with the Queen a great deal since he moved to the States, he had not anticipated the complete disconnect he'd feel with the others. Princess Beatrice welcomed her cousin back, but the rest of the family kept their distance. Any further discord between the Duke of Sussex and the Royal Family could prove disastrous for all concerned." And for more on who specifically isn't ready to let bygones be bygones, find out why These 3 Royals Aren't Willing to Forgive Prince Harry, Says Source.
Meghan faces a new dilemma now that Harry has seen his family, Burrell says.
In his interview with Closer, Burrell claimed that Meghan "will be faced with [a] dilemma" now that Harry's loyalties could be divided. "She will have to figure out what their next steps will be. Those two—from different worlds—are going to have to work it out to align themselves," Burrell said.
But another insider told Best Life that Harry's ultimate loyalty is to his wife and son, no matter what happens. "Of course [Harry] loves his family, but he adores his wife and son and feels highly protective of them. None of this will become a problem for Meghan, she will keep forging ahead and the royals are going to have to come up with a way of dealing with that," the source said. "Harry will always side with Meghan." And for more on where things went wrong, The Royals Made This One "Fateful Mistake" With Meghan, Says Insider.
Diane Clehane is a New York-based journalist and author of Imagining Diana and Diana: The Secrets of Her Style.
