VF: Prince Harry asked for the summit b/c he wants to change the ‘family feud’ narrative

The “secret peace summit” storyline is going to keep us fed for the next month, I swear. Royalists and Sussex-fans are going to analyze what it all means and why King Charles was suddenly open to sending his communications director to meet with two of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s representatives. Every royal reporter has seemingly dusted off their “royal sources” and Prince William’s rage-briefings dominated the gossip newscycle for a few days. The story has everything: panic, lies, wine, redheads, mysteries, and incandescent rage! Well, Katie Nicholl at Vanity Fair also wrote a big exclusive about the “peace summit” and what it all means. What surprised me the most about Nicholl’s piece is that she didn’t make it all about William and Kate. Bizarre!

Sources close to the Duke of Sussex told Vanity Fair that Prince Harry asked for the meeting while Maines was in London to meet his UK based staff. The meeting—an al fresco drink, which was captured by a photographer— took place just a stone’s throw from Clarence House, his father’s official London residence.

While details of what was discussed at the meeting are not known, sources close to Harry say that the prince is hopeful that progress can be made. Harry has publicly said he wants to repair his relationship with his father and is privately said to be hoping that his father might consider coming to the 2027 Invictus Games which will take place in Birmingham. Harry has reportedly invited members of his family to the opening ceremony, after being upset that they declined to attend the London service honoring 10 years of the Games in May 2024.

“Harry’s hoping that things can be rectified, He really wants a relationship with his father. He wants to change the narrative and not have the family feud be the focus of most stories that are written about him,” a source told VF. “There’s also hope that this might be the slow burner leading up to the Invictus Games. It’s two years away, but it’s going to take some time to change the narrative. Harry’s hope is that there will be another meeting, although it depends on how things play out.”

In a May 2025 interview with the BBC, Harry revealed that his father was not taking his calls. Sources close to Charles say he wants a better relationship with his youngest son. “The King has been deeply saddened by what has happened and if he can, he wants to sort things out with Harry,” said one of Charles’ close friends. “It’s his son and he loves him despite some of the things that have been said and done. The door has always been left open for a rapprochement, but it does very much depend on Harry and whether Charles can trust him.”

The leak of the “secret” meeting to the Mail on Sunday is problematic, however Harry’s PR team has claimed they did not share the details to the press. Sources close to the king say that progress can only be made if details of private meetings and conversations are not leaked to the media.

[From Vanity Fair]

As I keep saying, the British reporters are doing everything they can to avoid writing “Tobyn Andreae worked for the Mail for years, so obviously he leaked the details about the meeting to his former employer.” This isn’t difficult – why would Harry leak details TO THE MAIL about a meeting between his reps and Andreae? And this: “The door has always been left open for a rapprochement, but it does very much depend on Harry and whether Charles can trust him.” Nope – Harry has learned the hard way that he can’t trust his dogsh-t father at all, especially given that Charles sent his former-Mail-editor courtier to the meeting! Anyway, the news here is that Harry is apparently the one who sought the meeting/summit between their reps and it was scheduled around Meredith Maines’ visit to London. Hm.