Is Balmoral the Place to Heal Royal Rift with Prince Harry? Butler Says Charles ‘Wants It Resolved’
Balmoral has long been the royal family’s safe haven, the place where they retreat from the formality of Palaces and the royal spotlight. For Prince Harry, it has also been the backdrop of childhood summers, the place where he learned to fish and ride, and where his grandmother, the late Queen Elizabeth, found her deepest sense of peace. Now, as Harry prepares to return to the UK next week, the prospect of him making the journey north to Balmoral has sparked fresh speculation, and talk of whether King Charles might use the moment to push for a reconciliation.
Harry is scheduled to attend the WellChild Awards in London on September 8, a cause he has supported for years as patron. The date also marks the third anniversary of the Queen’s death. While his visit is expected to be brief, former royal butler Grant Harrold believes Balmoral could offer the perfect setting for father and son to meet. “I think Harry would probably love to spend time at Balmoral. This is just my view,” Harrold told GB News at his book launch in London. “I think he would love to go up there and be on the farm in his element. I just don’t know with everything that’s gone on, because it could be awkward.”
Harrold, who worked for the then-Prince Charles for seven years, said that if the King has his way, an encounter could happen. “What we’ve seen is speculation that he’s going to see his father,” he explained. “But the fact that the King, you know, it was a month ago when the advisers all got together, so there’s something going on, there’s definitely something going on.” His view of Charles is that of a man who dislikes lingering conflict. “I know what the King’s like, he likes everyone to be happy. He likes everyone to get on. So you can guarantee the King without question wants it resolved,” Harrold said.
He also stressed that reconciliation would not necessarily mean a return to royal duties for Harry, but rather a thaw in the frosty dynamic. “Even if it doesn’t mean Harry comes back into the royal family how he used to be, I think the King will want some sort of peaceful resolution,” Harrold added, as per Cambridgeshire Live. “It’s not impossible. That would be a very clear indication that things are definitely going in the right direction.”
Harry’s visits to the UK in recent years have been fleeting, never meeting his estranged family. His last trip was focused on his legal battle over the loss of taxpayer-funded security, a case he ultimately lost. He did not see the King on that occasion, who was in Italy for a state visit. Charles reportedly offered a room in the Palace for Harry to stay, but he chose to snub the offer and chose a hotel instead.
If Harry were to really travel to Balmoral this time, it would be his first visit to the Scottish estate since stepping back from royal life in 2020. Harrold believes the setting itself could play a role in easing tensions. “It’s Harry’s kind of place,” he said. “It’s where they can just be themselves,” Harrold suggested that if the King extends an invitation, Harry may find it difficult to refuse. “I think if his father wants to see him, then he will see him,” he said. “That’s what I think, and what we’ve seen recently is definitely signs that it could happen.”