Arguments in our house run a well-worn script.
After 20 years of marriage, my husband knows exactly what’s required to resolve a row: a full apology for whatever crime he’s committed (being married to me is a barrel of laughs, I promise.)
But there’s a final hurdle. I ask him what he’s actually apologising for. And, bless him, he must spell it out in full.
Now I realise that this sounds kind of unhinged, but there is method to my madness. Anyone can say sorry. Meaning it is something else entirely.
If reports are to be believed, the 44-year-old Duchess of Sussex is planning a UK return in June to join Prince Harry for his big Invictus Games countdown event, which will be held in Birmingham next year.
If true, it’ll be four years since she’s set foot on British soil – and apparently she’s a woman with a plan. It is believed the duchess will be making an effort to bury the hatchet with Harry’s family on the visit – King Charles in particular – and wants to show she’s “not the villain she’s been made out to be”.
Sources told Naughty But Nice’s Rob Shuter: “She’s going to come armed with a pile of gifts. She’s tasked her staff with finding things for every member of the family. Even second and third cousins will be getting packages from her.”
Look. Families (and spouses…) do fall out.
But a proper reconciliation doesn’t start with armfuls of presents. It starts with accountability.
No amount of flower sprinkles, honey and other As Ever guff will land if the underlying issue isn’t properly addressed.
A genuine attempt to fix things would, in my view, require something much simpler – but, of course, often a lot harder. A clear acknowledgement of how she and Prince Harry contributed to what’s gone wrong.
If Meghan and Harry said “look we’ve been total d**ks and that ends now” then, although trust would need to be very gradually built back, I am certain it wouldn’t fall on deaf ears. If the King then signified they were moving forward, I’m sure he’d have much of the public’s sympathy too.
But – and this is a big one – there is another step that’s needed before that: to recognise that there’s something to apologise for in the first place. And, sadly, with the Sussexes, I don’t think we should hold our breath.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.express.co.uk ’
