Us Weekly: King Charles possibly wants to meet Prince Harry in November?

For months, it’s been widely known/assumed that Prince Harry would travel to the UK around this time. We only got the confirmation from WellChild (and Harry himself) last week, but for the past three years, Harry has always made a point of being in or around London at this time of the year. So… why is there all of this late-breaking hand-wringing about a potential “make or break” meeting between Harry and King Charles? My evolving opinion is that Harry holds more cards than people are willing to acknowledge. Harry wants nothing from Charles other than a father-son relationship. What Charles wants from Harry is… not that. If Charles rejects another potential meeting with Harry, Harry will publicize it (again) and make Charles look like an a–hole (again) and Harry still won’t give Charles what he really wants (control over any part of Harry’s life or schedule). So, with all of that in mind, here’s more hand-wringing from Us Weekly’s cover story:

Charles & Harry’s relationship still isn’t great: A source tells Us progress has been slow, and that they haven’t spoken outside of a “brief phone call” for the king’s 76th birthday late last year.

Charles is dithering about meeting Harry: “Charles does want to meet Harry,” says a royal insider. “He doesn’t want this falling-out to overshadow his legacy. But Harry has caused chaos and hurt, so it’s complicated.” Adds royal historian Marlene Koenig: “If there is a meeting, it will be private and more likely to be on the king’s terms rather than Harry’s.”

The July meeting between Charles & Harry’s reps: The royal insider says both sides likely agreed to leak information about the sit-down in order to “allow the public to warm up to the idea” of Charles and Harry reconciling. “It [would take] time for the public to get used to it,” the insider explains, adding, “but ultimately, the public wants them to make amends.”

If a meeting happens, it will be brief: “A meeting is feasible, and both sides are open to it,” says the royal insider. “This marks the first tentative steps of a reconciliation.” The source says the likelihood of a get-together is “high” but notes that it’s more inclined to be cordial and brief versus an “in-depth” conversation about mending fences.

Charles doesn’t want a lot of drama: Christopher Andersen, author of The King: The Life of King Charles III, believes there are one too many obstacles and says the chances of a meeting between Charles and Harry are “slim,” adding that Charles will be “consumed” by Trump’s visit and is focused on his health. “The king is still undergoing weekly chemotherapy treatments, and drama would inevitably go along with some sort of summit with Harry,” Andersen tells Us. “Having Harry around is the sort of draining distraction he just doesn’t need at the moment.”

What is this??? The source tells Us a later meeting could take place in November should Harry attend the Christmas Cotswold Fair, which has yet to be confirmed. The event is held two days after the annual Festival of Remembrance.

Trust issues. “The wounds inflicted on Charles and William in Spare — including accusations of racism, bullying and backbiting — have yet to heal,” says Andersen. In order to move forward, both sides would need to make changes. “Charles wants Harry first and foremost to stop talking about the royal family,” says Andersen. Harry, meanwhile, “still wants his family to receive royal protection when they’re in the U.K.” (Harry and Meghan also share daughter Lili, 4.) “That’s something Charles could make happen with a snap of his fingers,” Andersen notes.

Make-or-break: “This meetup is make-or-break,” says the royal insider. “If it goes well, it could lead to other family members being open to better relationships. If things get leaked negatively, then it’s done, and there’s no chance [for peace].” (Where does William stand on all this? The source says he’s “neutral but wary” of a potential meet-up.)

[From Us Weekly]

There’s more about how Harry feels a sense of urgency because he doesn’t know how much longer his father has. Which I think is true, and possibly the only thing fueling the “urgency” on Harry’s side. But I would ask Harry to consider why his father doesn’t share that sense of urgency. I’m not trying to tell Harry what he should or shouldn’t do with regards to Charles, but sometimes you just have to match someone’s energy and give them exactly what they give you. If Charles is going to dither and play games (as he’s done for years), Harry could and should just shrug and say, okay, if that’s how you feel, so be it. It’s clear that Charles doesn’t give a f–k about having better relationships with either son. Sometimes you just have to allow a terrible old man to wallow in his own self-sustaining misery, you know?

Also: the part about “maybe Harry will come back to the UK in November” is WILD. Why in the world would Harry go to the Christmas Cotswold Fair? And the “Charles could give the Sussexes security with a snap of his fingers” thing is infuriating. THAT WAS THE WHOLE POINT!! That was what Harry’s years of legal actions were about!

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, cover courtesy of Us Weekly.