Prince Harry’s packed autumn schedule has been revealed – and it could be a recipe for more drama with the Palace.
The Duke’s return to the UK with his wife Meghan Markle and two children, Prince Archieand Princess Lilibet, has sent shockwaves in royal circles. While King Charles is understood to be delighted to have the opportunity to spend more time with his grandchildren, suspicions around the couple’s motives are rife.
The Sussex’s move back to the UK last month appeared to be incredibly sudden, with the Kingsaid to have only been given a few days notice. For Harry and Meghan, the relocation apears to have been long discussed.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle moved back to the UK last month(Image: GETTY)
But royal watchers noticed a potential change in tide long before the big comeback. Last summer, representatives from both camps met for a secret meeting in London in a bid to improve communications which had long been strained – or non-existent.
While no official statement was issued, reports surfaced that Harry had offered to share his official diary engagements with the Royal Family in a move to further defrost tensions.
A month prior, the Duke’s trip to the African country of Angola apparently sparked frustration, with images of Harry retracing his late mother Princess Diana‘s footsteps through a minefield knocking photos of Queen Camilla‘s 78th birthday portrait off the front pages.
At the meeting, Harry’s team reportedly offered a diary-sharing arrangement to stop a similar situation happening again, with the deal is even believed to have been extend to Prince William‘s court at Kensington Palace.
But now it seems as though cracks have formed in the alleged arrangement. Reports at the weekend suggested that “there is no diary co-ordination with Team Sussex,” meaning awkward clashes could very well still happen.
Experts warn that Harry and Meghan have now found themselves operating alongside the Royal Family with what increasingly looks like a second royal court – with competing announcements, public appearances and briefing battles.
A messy briefing battle ensued between both camps last week(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The tense dynamic came into sharp focus last week when a letter on behalf of the King was issued to senior officials across the country, confirming that the Sussexes are ‘private citizens’ who cannot use their HRH titles.
Harry and Meghan’s team hit back at the letter, saying they were ‘surprised’ at the public statement from the Palace and were ‘caught off guard’. Then, an extraordinary briefing made it clear that the Sussexes’ preference is to be known as ‘public figures’ rather than private citizens as they want their royal status to be recognised.
Proving just how difficult that “private” reality is, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five were abruptly pulled from their new British school just two days into the term.
A family spokesman confirmed the move was prompted by security vulnerabilities during the school run.
“It’s a real shame, because they absolutely adored the school, the kids and their parents,” the spokesman told HELLO!. “It was perfect for them in every way and the children really enjoyed their time there. They really wanted to make it work, but they had to make a difficult decision based on the fact that the team couldn’t make the school run operationally secure.”
While Harry may no longer be a working royal, his return means he and Meghan are once again operating on the same patch as the King, Prince William and the rest of the Royal Family. And there is now a growing sense that the careful separation agreed behind closed doors is proving much harder to maintain in practice.
The Mirror’s royal editor warns the two camps are ‘unable to work together'(Image: Meghan/Instagram)
As the Mirror‘s royal editor Russell Myers puts it, there are “leaks, counter leaks and dueling media campaigns” between “two camps unable to work together”. He describes the situation as an “intense rivalry galvanised by warring courts”.
It comes as Harry’s first official engagement since returning to the UK have been announced, with the Duke set to lead a run of charity events this month. His appearances will include the first ever Invictus Spirit Awards which will celebrate individuals, organisations and communities who “embody the resilience, service and unconquered spirit at the heart of the international Invictus Movement”.
The list of engagements was reportedly presented in a style reminiscent of the Royal Family’s Court Circular – the official record of engagements undertaken by working members of the monarchy.
The timing also raised eyebrows after Harry’s engagements were announced on Thursday evening – the same day the Prince and Princess of Wales carried out a key visit to Liverpool, where William was launching a suicide prevention toolkit for the sports sector. Kate made a surprise appearance at Everton FootballClub at William’s side, to show support for the major On Your Side campaign.
Meanwhile, Uganda will now compete at Prince Harry’s Invictus Games next year after an intervention from the King to smooth over relations. Last week, the African country said it was pulling out of sending a team to the Invictus Games event in Birmingham with Uganda’s military chief saying it will “not participate in anything” that does not have the King’s “approval” – blaming the “Harry and Meghan nonsense”.
However, now it has emerged that the King’s principal private secretary Sir Clive Alderton spoke with Uganda military chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba to say that the King had been ‘moved’ by his “sensitive consideration” of what his opinion might be on the forthcoming event to be held in Birmingham next year – but urged the country to make a U-turn and compete in the Games.
On Sunday, the Duchess shared a picture-perfect Instagram reel of the family enjoying the British countryside – giving fans a glimpse into their new life. A few days earlier, she was spotted at Soho Farmhouse – a celebrity haunt near the couple’s reported new home region of the Cotswolds.
On Tuesday morning, Meghan posted a birthday message for Harry on Instagram as he turned 42, with a number of pictures of the family.
The caption says: “He’s simply the best. Happy birthday, my love”.
The Mirror has contacted Buckingham Palace and the Sussexes’ spokesperson for comment.
