TROUBLED TRIO
Prince Charles is desperate to fix the rift with his son Harry, but William is still hesitant, say palace insiders.
The feuding brothers started “baby steps” towards reconciliation after Philip’s funeral, following on from Kate’s efforts outside the chapel, and were joined by their father for a chat in the grounds of Windsor Castle.
According to one insider, they then held further talks at Frogmore Cottage, Harry’s home on the Windsor estate. Kate joined them for the meeting, with Harry apparently wanting it to be held on his “home turf” as he felt outnumbered. Communications with his father and brother had broken down to such an extent that Harry had to resort to writing a “deeply personal” letter to his dad before returning to Britain.
Neither Charles, 72, nor William wanted a one-on-one meeting with Harry because they wanted to make sure there was no confusion over what was said. “It was important to Charles and William that they were both there together. It means nothing spoken about can be misconstrued in the future,” tells the source.
William, in particular, has been worried that what is said won’t stay between them, after previous details about family conversations were leaked to US TV host Gayle King. “William needs to know that he can trust Harry and that private conversations will stay private.”
The source says the meeting lasted about two hours, which was long enough to get father and sons talking. “There is no way this is the end of the crisis, but it’s a good gesture and a nice way to take the first step towards healing.”