King Charles’ bid to reunite the Royal Family is overshadowed by William and Kate’s reported refusal
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Six years after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as working royals, hopes of a family reconciliation have been reignited following the Sussexes’ private meeting with King Charles at Highgrove House.
The recent discreet gathering has fuelled speculation that the King is keen to repair relations with his youngest son and daughter-in-law. However, according to a source, any prospect of a wider royal reunion remains complicated, with the Prince and Princess of Wales reportedly unconvinced that the family can simply move on.
“William and Kate both believe there are some things that can’t be undone,” a source told Closer.“However much Charles wants everyone to move on, William and Kate don’t think it’s possible to build bridges without first building trust – and, right now, that doesn’t exist.
“Charles believes the monarchy has to think long-term, and Harry, Meghan and the children could still have a role in strengthening the institution if relationships could somehow be repaired.”
“But William and Kate don’t see it that way and they feel it won’t be solved by putting duty first. Kate is normally incredibly forgiving – she much prefers to forgive and forget, rather than hold grudges – but this is completely different,” the source added.
This situation, however, is reportedly different, explains the source, as Kate still feels hurt.
“She feels like she was dragged into a very public dispute that she never wanted any part of. She can usually put difficult situations behind her, but she’s still carrying the hurt of what happened. She can’t file those feelings away just because someone tells her it’s better for the monarchy.”
Royal followers were surprised when Harry and Meghan, both 44, accepted an invitation to visit the King’s Gloucestershire estate in early July, bringing their children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.
The private family gathering marked the first time King Charles had seen his youngest grandchildren since the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June 2022, when he briefly met Lilibet for the first time.
Beyond confirmation that the meeting took place, few details have emerged. Reports have suggested the gathering lasted around an hour and that the King asked those present to keep discussions private.
After the meeting, a source told Heatworld that Charles is pushing hard for Prince William, 43, and Princess Kate, 44, to follow suit. While the King is aware that their deep rift could take time to heal, the monarch has also made the heartbreaking admission that he fears they may never make peace while he is still here to see it.
“Charles just isn’t prepared to accept that he’ll never have the chance to see his sons on good terms again. He thinks it’s absolutely ludicrous that this grudge has dragged on for so long and he’s vowed to do what it takes to sort things out, even if it means putting serious pressure on both of them because he absolutely believes they are equally to blame,” the insider said.
The added, “This trip wasn’t the right time to force any meeting, but he’s made it clear that he will be tackling that in due time. He wants them to start letting some of the bad blood go, if not for his sake, then at least for the sake of their children. To Charles, that’s the biggest tragedy in all of this: they’re missing out on growing up together as cousins.”
While the meeting has been viewed as a positive step in relations between Charles and the Sussexes, the reported rift between Harry and Prince William remains unresolved.
“It’s so broken,” the source said. “There has been no movement, especially on William’s side. There is no contact.”
