Expert Says Prince Harry Is Not High on King Charles' 'List of Priorities': 'There's No Way Back'
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren't likely to ever return to the royal fold, royal expert Tom Bower has argued. He claims there is no path back for them despite their attempts at reconciliation. The assessment comes amid continued tensions with King Charles, unresolved security disputes, and the Sussexes pursuing unroyal ventures in Hollywood.
While the royal family gears up for their annual Christmas celebration at Sandringham, the Sussexes will be absent for the seventh year in a row. Dismissing rumors of a reunion amid the festive cheer, Bower told The Express, “Harry clearly met his father with the hope that he could ingratiate himself back into the family, but it isn't going to work, there is just no way back for him.” The biographer acknowledged that while Harry has been concerned about King Charles’ health, he remains a low priority for the monarch. He stated, “Harry himself said he didn't know how long his father has got, and I think that hangs over him, but I don't think he's that high up on Charles' list of priorities.”
Earlier this year, in September, Harry and Charles met briefly for about an hour at Clarence House, after more than 19 months apart. However, leaked details overshadowed the awaited reunion. Harry’s representatives later claimed there were “sources intent on sabotaging” the reunion. As per Bower, Harry’s own actions were a case of real damage in this matter. He expressed, “He was granted those 54 minutes with the King by the skin of his teeth, but was told that not a word must be spoken about it. And then he gets on the train to Ukraine and tells a reporter that he has no regrets for anything he said in Spare.”
Security remains another major barrier as the Duke is still challenging the decision of his UK protection being stripped. In a BBC interview, he said he was 'devastated' and doesn't 'see a world' in which he would bring his wife and children back to the UK. Although The Sun recently reported that Harry “won a Home Office review” into threat assessment, which would potentially allow Charles to meet his grandkids, Bower has downplayed its importance. He insisted, “The King is not only battling for survival, literally battling to live, but he wants a legacy, and he wants to have a good transition to William, and Harry just gets in the way.”
Bower also weighed in on Markle’s fractured bonds with her own family and how that hinders things for Harry. The biographer said, “Meghan isn't reconciled with her own family, and she never wants to come back to Britain, so her relationships with both families act against Harry's own instinctive interests. The result is they are left in a very isolated place at Christmas.” The comments come after Meghan made efforts to contact her father, Thomas Markle, following his leg amputation surgery in the Philippines. According to The Express, the effort was unsuccessful with Meghan reportedly deleting his contact details, sure in her decision that she doesn't want to meet him.