Expert Claims Harry and Meghan’s Move to Reconnect With The Royals May Have a Hidden Motive Behind It
Prince Harry and Meghan's peace talks with the royals may also be a PR move to shift public opinion, says royal expert Jack Royston.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s recent 'peace talks' with the royal family have given a ray of hope to royal watchers who eagerly await a reunion. However, with public opinion plummeting, the couple seeking peace with the royals may have been driven by more than just a desire to patch things up, according to royal experts.
Speaking on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive show, Jack Royston, Newsweek’s Chief Royal Correspondent, said the couple’s latest moves follow a behind-the-scenes change in their communications team. He explained that both Harry and Markle "had a clear-out" of their PR representatives on both sides of the Atlantic, bringing in a new team with a very different approach. “They brought new people in who have come with new energy and a real determination to move the dial in terms of public opinion, move the dial in terms of media coverage of the Sussexes, and, that comes with it, move the dial in terms of the relationship with the Palace,” Royston explained.
The comments come in light of Harry and King Charles's aides having a secret meeting in London in July, which is seen as a first step in a potential reconciliation. But Royston believes the Sussexes’ motivations are layered. He argued, “I think the reason behind it is fundamentally because Harry had a clear-out, and Meghan had a clear-out of their PR team… And I do agree that they've got a better team that's trying to fashion something out of this, but I just think it's a very confused, dilapidated thing, and I don't see it going anywhere.”
The meeting of the aides follows Harry's public plea for reconciliation with his estranged family in his BBC interview after losing his legal battle for state-funded security in the UK. Royston noted, “That BBC interview was a huge moment, and Harry clearly experienced restraint, basically... I'm sure that they had that interview booked in the diary before they knew the outcome of the case, and Harry probably imagined that he was going to go in there and give this plea for reconciliation with his family... Then he saw we'd lost the case and was just furious about it, and so he started giving these swipes at Charles in the middle of this interview that was supposed to be calling for reconciliation.”
Despite the misstep, Royston sees signs that talks are now happening behind the scenes, even if slowly. “It is promising to see this new... kind of these new meetings taking place,” he said. On the question of whether a reconciliation between Harry and his father is likely, Royston said it’s possible, but only if Harry takes a gentler, more mature approach. “I think there's a chance we will, but I do think Charles is going to need to be slightly dragged into it,” he explained.
For Harry to truly make amends, Royston believes he’ll have to do some emotional heavy-lifting of his own. “Harry is going to have to show Charles that having a relationship is not going to be exhausting and draining for him... And so it's going to have to be softly, softly, and Harry's probably going to have to soak some stuff up along the way."
