BRING ARCHIE HOME!
A teary duchess wants an end to the rift dividing her family
The Duchess of Cambridge has had enough of her broken family and is taking matters into her own hands as palace insiders reveal she has reached out to her brother-in-law Harry, begging him to bring his son Archie home.
TAKING CHARGE
It’s been a year since the royal family have seen 18-monthold Archie and according to palace insiders, heartbroken Kate is struggling with the separation. With her husband William, 38, now out of the woods after contracting
COVID, the duchess is keen to resolve the family rift by appealing to her “dear friend and beloved brother Harry” to end this cruel estrangement.
“It’s absolutely ridiculous,” says a palace insider. “One whole year and with no end in sight. Kate’s in tears at how this has hurt everyone, especially the older members of the family.
WHERE’S ARCHIE?
“The Queen and Prince Philip don’t deserve to be kept from their great-grandson at their age – nor do George, Charlotte and Louis, who used to ask about their cousin all the time, but that’s starting to wane. They’re beginning to forget about him!
“It’s not right, and Kate thinks she can appeal to Harry’s heart – she’s George’s mother and Harry was very close to George.”
Kate has the support of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall, who were extremely close to Harry, 36, and want him back to renew his duties as their daughter Lena’s godfather.
“It’s not just Kate’s three kids who are suffering,” adds the insider. “This has affected everyone in the family. Harry was so hands-on with all the young royals and they adored him! It’s hard to explain how he just vanished. “The tragic thing is that when [Harry’s wife] Meghan was pregnant, Harry kept telling George and the little ones that they all had to look out for their new little cousin. Well, they’re ready for duty, Harry, and have been for a long time.” With all hopes pinned on Kate somehow managing to get through to Harry’s paternal side, it’s looking more and more unlikely there’ll be a family reunion any time soon. Several sources confirm 39-year-old Meghan’s request for a 10-month delay in her court case against a UK paper is because she has another baby on the way. “If Meghan’s pregnant – and it really looks like she is, she’ll be in total command of Harry’s comings and goings,” adds the insider.
“She’ll be using COVID lockdowns, ordered bed rests by doctors, whatever excuse she can to avoid going back to the UK and having to face the family. She might let Harry fly in for Christmas, but she won’t be letting him take Archie without her. She’d much rather he stay in the US with her.”
HEARTACHE
If this is the case, it’s bad news for Kate, 38, who is desperate to involve Archie in the family.
“It’s heartbreaking for Kate every time George or Charlotte ask about Archie or Harry,” says the source. “She’s upset on behalf of all the children. Plus, she absolutely aches to see him herself. She can’t bear missing out on seeing Archie grow up, comparing him to her kids... all the things a mum does when a new member of the family arrives.
“Of course the biggest reason she wants to mend this bridge is the deep hurt that’s been inflicted on her husband. She always loved Harry and she just can’t believe what’s happened so quickly and so permanently.”
‘Meghan won’t be letting Harry take Archie without her’
With the surprise news that both Prince Charles and Prince William were diagnosed with coronavirus earlier this year, sources say it was “absolute turmoil and terror” behind the scenes as the royals faced an unprecedented succession crisis.
“We were facing the possible demise of the next two in line to the throne, and all eyes were on Duchess Kate, who was nothing but the epitome of strength throughout it,” says an insider.
“She truly showed she’s got what it takes to be queen, even though at one point she was facing a situation in which she bypassed queen and went straight to queen mum!
“What happened was absolutely unparalleled.”
The reality for the family is that if both William and Charles were to become ill and pass away, seven-yearold George would be crowned king and a regency council would be appointed to carry out duties in his name until he’s 18.
“That council will of course include Kate, but to everyone’s complete horror, the two most senior adult royals in terms of succession are Harry and Prince Andrew!” adds the insider. “No one can imagine what was going through Kate’s mind thinking she’d have to rule the Commonwealth alongside the two most controversial royals in history. Aside from the complete heartbreak of losing her husband, the consequences she and George were facing was nothing short of terrifying.”
Katy Perry’s beginning to regret she ever opened her mouth about her new neighbour Meghan’s wedding dress two years ago – the singer’s multiple attempts at befriending the duchess have been met with silence every time.
“Katy can’t believe Meghan would be so offended over something so ridiculous but she’s not giving up,” says an insider.
“The two women have a lot in common – making babies with Brits, love-hate with the press – but she also thinks the duchess needs to lighten up a bit!”
Katy, 36, incurred the wrath of Meghan in 2018 when she said she preferred Duchess Kate’s wedding dress seven years earlier. “I’d have done one more fitting,” she said of the slightly loose-fitting Givenchy gown.
However, the singer was also accused of using her influence to get her husband Orlando Bloom to play Prince Harry in the animated series The Prince.
“That pretty much put Katy and Orlando on the duchess’ blacklist,” says a friend of Meghan’s. “It’s extremely embarrassing and very unfortunate that they’ve moved next door, and you can bet Meghan won’t be inviting them over for dinner any time soon.”
As dedicated conservationists and Wildlife Warriors, the Irwin family are tasked with saving the lives of animals seven days a week, while overseeing the upkeep of their famous Australia Zoo. But when they’re not caring for the animals, siblings Bindi and Robert and their mum Terri are no strangers to a life in the limelight – and all the glitzy trappings that come with it.
For years, the popular khaki-clad clan have remained red carpet and reality TV regulars as well as special guests on a string of reality programs and popular US talk shows, and boasted close friendships with some of the world’s biggest Hollywood stars including Aussie favourites Chris Hemsworth and Russell Crowe.
NEW FIGUREHEAD
Now, Woman’s Day hears that while 22-year-old pregnant Bindi, who is due early next year, pulls back on public life ahead of the birth of her first child with her husband Chandler Powell, her younger brother Robert is gradually being groomed as the face of the iconic family – and the news is ruffling more than a few emu feathers!
“Bindi is all smiles when the cameras are rolling, but behind closed doors, she’s a little bit of a diva,” laughs a friend close to the family. “To be fair, this is her first pregnancy and it’s causing havoc with her body!
“She’s cranky, very nervous about the upcoming birth and feeling more and more immobile.”
Adding to the woes of pregnancy is the fact her 16-year-old brother, who is an aspiring nature photographer, is excitedly planning his big move into Tinseltown.
“Behind the scenes, Robert’s wasted no time planning for his time in the spotlight. Bindi’s always been so supportive of Robert, but it’s hard to not feel jealous seeing her little brother do so well,” says the source. “When they were in America
before lockdown, it wasn’t just Bindi who had agents clamouring to sign her – everyone wanted a piece of Robert, too. In fact, he was polling very highly with American viewers.”
But the real salt in the wounds is thought to be that Bindi’s had enough of everyone nicknaming her brother “Mini Steve”. “Robert is a natural successor to their dad – he’s the spitting image of him, too,” says the insider. “Some of Steve’s oldest long-time fans are always begging Robert to step into his dad’s shoes. There are big companies like Netflix wanting to reboot Steve’s show, and with Bindi out of action, Robert’s more than willing to take on every opportunity.”
Last week it was revealed the teen had signed on to make a guest appearance on Australia’s most popular children’s show, Bluey, with Robert lending his voice for a special new character. “I am very excited to be voicing a character in a new episode of Bluey - ‘Alfie’ will be featuring on the show on November 4,” he boasted online.
SILVER SCREEN STARDOM
And it’s not just children’s programs he’s being scouted for. Robert’s close friend, Thor star Chris, 37, is also said to be mentoring the up-and-comer for a career on the big screen.
“While everyone’s permanently here in Oz, Robert is making the most of his friendship with Chris,” the source adds. “You couldn’t ask for a better person to introduce you to the right people, and Chris knows what a shark tank Hollywood is and has vowed to help out. He’s become a real mentor for him.”
Meanwhile, Bindi is stuck at home feeling “forgotten”, adds the insider.
“She’s hellbent on returning to the spotlight. She wants to get back to work building her father’s legacy as soon as she can,” insists the source, who says things between the famous siblings remain tense despite them having always been close.
“Robert doesn’t want to upset Bindi, but he’s got his own aspirations and goals, and he really wants to do his dad proud.”
‘It’s hard not to feel jealous seeing her little brother do well’