Murmurs about a royal reconciliation continued to grow this week as Prince Harry made an abrupt trip to the UK for a funeral. The development came even as reports indicated that Prince Charles wanted his son back — regardless of personal feelings harboured by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle. The Duke of Sussex is also slated to visit New York next month without Meghan Markle — a trip that royal experts claim is a “further attempt to prove he is relevant”.
The trip to New York will see Harry represent the Archewell Foundation at the UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week.
Former BBC Royal Correspondent Michael Cole however told GB News that the trip was a bid to prove that Prince Harry was “still relevant” after stepping down from the royal family. Royal experts contend that the upcoming trip “won’t be about supporting Meghan Markle”.
“I think it’s really telling that he’s going to New York without Meghan. Last time they went there, there was this whole fiasco with this catastrophic car chase, because it was a red carpet event that his wife was going to,” The Royal Beat quoted The Sun editor Matt Wilkinson as saying.
The developments come mere days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wrapped up a tour of Colombia. The visit had been defined by cultural and social causes, in line with the couple’s support of the Archewell Foundation, a nonprofit organisation.
Buzz about a reconciliation has also been driven by the possibility of Prince William — the estranged brother of the Duke — being in New York around the same time for the Earthshot Prize.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had stepped away from official royal duties in January 2020 and now live in California. Tensions between the two brothers strained further with the release of a Netflix documentary produced by Harry and Meghan at the end of 2022. The Duke had also criticised Prince William in his memoir “Spare” which was published last year.
(With inputs from agencies)