A royal insider has blasted any suggestion that Prince Harry could return as a working member of the Royal Family, following reports that the Duke of Sussex was interested in taking on a “part-time” role.
Rumours of Harry returning to the royal fold gained traction after Harry briefly reunited with his father, King Charles, at Clarence House last Wednesday during his visit to the UK for a string of charitable events.
It was the first time the pair had seen each other in 19 months. Their private meeting, described as cordial but brief, lasted just under an hour over tea.
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Sources close to the Duke of Sussex revealed to the Daily Mail that the reunion signalled a “thawing” in his relationship with Charles and hinted at a renewed sense of “acceptance”, potentially paving the way for Harry to contribute to royal duties once again.
The same insider suggested it could mark the beginning of a new working model for the Duke, one that balances his independent initiatives with occasional support for the monarchy.
According to the source, Harry is considering returning to the UK “four or five times a year” to attend public events, both for his charitable causes and, possibly, in a limited capacity on behalf of the Royal Family.
But another source from King Charles’ camp has firmly dismissed the claims.
“The King is a forgiving man but has been absolutely clear in upholding his late mother’s decision that there cannot be ‘half-in, half-out’ members of the working royal family,” they told the outlet.
“Whoever is behind (the Sussexes) seems to have mistaken a brief tea and a slice of cake for the Treaty of Versailles,” the insider added.
A third royal source shared, “These syrupy briefings from supposed Sussex sources are precisely why the King and Royal family are so hesitant to embark on any road to rapprochement.”
“If the intention is to encourage a rebuilding of trust and relationships, they serve the precise opposite effect.”
It comes as Harry made a surprising admission that he is now reconsidering his stance on bringing his children back to the UK.
While speaking to The Guardian just days after he met with his father, the Duke of Sussex said he’d like to bring six-year-old Archie and four-year-old Lilibet, whom he shares with his wife, Meghan Markle, to visit his homeland.
“Yes, I would. This week has definitely brought that closer,” Harry told the outlet, despite ongoing issues over security arrangements.
This marks a shift from his comments in May, when he told BBC News that he “couldn’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the UK at this point,” after losing his legal appeal over the British Government’s decision to strip him of automatic police protection.
“They’re going to miss, well, everything,” he said at the time.
“I miss the UK, I miss parts of the UK, of course I do,” he added. “I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source thenightly.com.au ’
