Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan to extend an olive branch to King Charles III over the holidays… but will it work?
This year will mark the fifth time the new monarch will not get to spend Christmas with his youngest son since 2018 — or his grandkids. Yes, we know what you’re thinking: didn’t the Sussexes leave England in 2020? That’s correct, but the last Christmas they had at Sandringham was way back in 2018. In 2019, they spent time with the Suits alum’s mother and then they neglected to return to the UK in 2020 reportedly due to COVID-19. So yeah, it’s been a while!
But despite the ongoing royal rift, the Duke of Sussex is committed to changing all that — sorta. According to a well-placed source for Page Six on Thursday, the Archewell co-founders plan to call Charles on the special day from their home in Montecito along with their kids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Even though they’ll be missing out on the in-person family festivities, Harry and Meghan hope this will prove their desire to fix things. That’s actually their big Christmas wish! The insider explained:
“Harry and Meghan’s new strategy is reconciliation.”
Huh…
Obviously, one phone call isn’t going to fix things, and they can’t just give reconciliation as a gift. It’s not that simple! As far as we’ve heard, Prince William (whom the Spare author reportedly hasn’t spoken to in more than a year) wants nothing to do with making amends. So, we don’t see how Charles could really accept a full reconciliation without everyone on board.
Related: Prince Harry WINS Phone Hacking Case!
Regardless, it’s going to take a lot more than a phone call to mend these fences — especially after Omid Scobie‘s overly revealing book, Endgame, leaked the identities of the alleged royal racists. But none of this seems to be dissuading Harry, who will be turning 40 in September — and is increasingly aware “of the shifting sands of time,” the outlet noted.
It’s worth pointing out the family did make a point to chat with the 75-year-old over the phone last month on his birthday. But s**t has hit the fan since the racism allegations, so we’ll have to wait to see if they truly connect over the holidays. If they do, that’s probably a good sign! It might mean Queen Camilla‘s husband doesn’t actually blame Meghan for the scandal, despite previous reports.
All this said, it’s very bad timing for the controversy! According to Page Six‘s sources, Charles recorded his annual Christmas speech this week. He was joined by a crew from the British broadcaster ITN to film the formal vid. The speech will air at 3 p.m. in England and other Commonwealth countries on Xmas Day. Last year, he refused to mention the renegade royals, and we’d suspect all would be the same this time around — especially considering the latest events — *unless* Harry and Meghan have already been working some magic behind the scenes. While this video plays for all to see, all the other royals, including the disgraced Prince Andrew, are expected to be celebrating at Sandringham.
Thoughts? Let us know (below).