Prince Harry attempts (quiet) return to royal family fold

The prince has consulted former advisers and friends to try to bring the crown closer, the British press assures.

Harry soon to return to the United Kingdom? According to the Mail on Sunday, the prince who has been living in Montecito since 2020 is trying to restore his image and repair what can be done in his relationship with his father King Charles and his brother William.

The British media outlet assures that the prince has consulted friends and former trusted collaborators on WhatsApp, with the aim of initiating a return and resuming royal activities “discreetly”.

As he approaches his 40th birthday, Harry is said to have grown tired of Californian life and “watching Meghan make jam,” as the Times, and is reportedly trying to restore his popularity in the UK. “Harry is turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists and seeking advice from his old friends and associates,” a source told the paper. “It’s clear he’s thinking, ‘I need to do something different because what I’m doing is clearly not working.'”

Discreet return

But a return in small steps, even discreetly, within the royal family seems unlikely. Queen Elizabeth had indeed been categorical when Harry and Meghan had shown inclinations towards independence, in 2019: “either you are out, or you are in”, no half-measures.

This is not the first time that Harry has attempted a rapprochement with his family. Last February, shortly after the announcement of the king’s cancer, when he said he had “jumped on a plane” to come to his father’s bedside, he had said in an interview that he had “other trips planned”, adding: “I will come back to see my family as often as I can”. He hoped at the time that the king’s illness would allow the family to come back together.

Alas, the truce did not take place. When Harry visited London a few months later, in May, the king, who was gradually resuming his public engagements, had not found the time to see his son.

No Time for Harry

“This will unfortunately not be possible due to Her Majesty’s full schedule,” Prince Harry’s spokesman said, adding that the Duke “of course understands his father’s schedule and hopes to see him soon.” But there have been no further meetings.

Harry and William, who have not appeared in public together since Charles’ coronation, have also been in the same place very recently. Both attended the memorial service in late August for their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes, who was married to Diana’s sister. But again, there was no trace of a rapprochement between the two brothers, who have been irremediably angry since the publication of Harry’s memoirs. The prince did not spare his older brother. He recounted a violent altercation with his William who allegedly “threw him to the ground”.

Harry’s book, but also his documentary series on Netflix, in which he has constantly attacked the royal family and the treatment he and Meghan received in the press, have damaged his image and tired the public.

Once the most popular member of the royal family, Prince Harry is now second to last in the hearts of the British, just ahead of his uncle Prince Andrew, who has been embroiled in a sex scandal.