Four days have passed since King Charles III met with his son Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Since that emotional evening, Harry has continued with the purpose of his royal visit to Britain. He met with children who lost a parent in military service, won a wheelchair rugby exhibition match and even found himself in a water balloon fight. In the coming days, Harry and his family, who were not seen in public, are expected to return to their home in Los Angeles, apparently without meeting his older brother, Prince William, or William’s family.
“Prince William understands his father’s decision to meet with Harry and his family, but he has no plans to reconnect with his brother,” royal expert Kinsey Schofield said. “He understands that a father living with cancer wants to see his son and grandchildren, but he still believes Harry has not earned his way back into the family.”
William is next in line to the throne, and some believe the future king’s top priority is to protect the monarchy at all costs.
“The question William is asking himself is not, ‘Is Harry part of the family?’ but ‘Can he be trusted?’ One afternoon at Highgrove certainly does not answer that question,” Schofield said. “Charles can afford to think about legacy. William has to think about the future.”
'Can Harry be trusted?'
(Photo: Gettyimages)
Buckingham Palace confirmed last Friday that King Charles and Queen Camilla had hosted the Sussexes. It was the first time in four years that Charles, 77, had met his grandchildren.
“The meeting, emotional as it was, does not mean the past will be forgotten, and it certainly does not mean the palace should forget everything that has happened in recent years,” Schofield said. “A father can forgive, but a king still has to protect the crown. One meeting is easy. Rebuilding trust is much harder.”