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Prince Harry is celebrating his 41st birthday Monday, and according to royal experts, he may be wishing for one thing above all else.
“Harry is sending serious signals that he wants reconciliation,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital, explaining that Harry’s schedule last week, which included a meeting with King Charles as well as a surprise visit to Ukraine, indicates “a new way of doing things with new advisers, whose advice is being heeded more.”
The meeting with the king, which took place on Sept. 10 at Charles’ London residence, was the first time Harry saw his father in over a year. It came after a May interview the duke did with the BBC in which he emotionally spoke about his desire to become close with his family again – something Fitzwilliams called a “serious error.”
PRINCE HARRY AND KING CHARLES REUNITE IN LONDON FOR FIRST TIME IN OVER A YEAR
Prince Harry made a “serious error” in speaking about his hopes for reconciliation with his family, a royal expert claims. (Belinda Jiao/Getty Images)
Fitzwilliams claims, “Harry made a serious error in giving an emotional half-hour interview to the BBC when he lost his case over automatic police protection.”
“I would love a reconciliation with my family,” Harry said then. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024.
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner said that Harry is currently on a “well-structured charm offensive” designed to “re-identify his credibility, his kindness and warmth and the key values he holds most dear.”
“Harry is longing for a popular return to Britain with Meghan and his children,” Pelham Turner continued, saying that there was a time when Harry and Meghan were considered more popular than Prince William and Kate Middleton. Harry and Meghan can “reclaim that throne again,” he theorized, with “a more relaxed royal protocol and a more secure Meghan.”
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle could potentially return to their former popularity, royal expert Ian Pelham Turner suggested. (Henning Kaiser/picture alliance)
Pelham Turner said, “The future of the monarchy, in my opinion, is reliant on unification…the royal brand must stay united now, egos have to be put aside, with much less secrets and much more openness required.”
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital that while Harry’s reputation has been “in tatters,” his recent European trip was “the perfect PR strategy engineered to initiate a reputation reboot.”
PRINCE HARRY MAKES SURPRISE UKRAINE VISIT FOLLOWING UNEXPECTED REUNION WITH KING CHARLES
“Determined to show resilience, mask any chink in his armor and garner glowing PR. Prince Harry meeting with his father was a small part of the strategy,” she said. “However, the meeting was significant as it highlights progress of sorts, however superficial. It’s a glimmer of hope that, in time, father and son will privately rebuild a relationship.”
She added, “I would love nothing more than King Charles to enjoy his Sussex grandchildren although I sadly feel this will not happen soon. Prince Harry holds the key here.”
King Charles met with Harry on Sept. 10 at Clarence House, his London residence. (HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images)
While it seems clear that Charles is interested in the idea of patching things up with Harry, the same can’t be said for William.
“The senior royals don’t do anything by mistake, especially Prince William,” royal expert Hilary Fordwich said. “His having maintained a distance from Harry’s reunion with King Charles, while the palace adopted an understated, cautious approach to public messaging, focusing on privacy and dignity rather than commentary or celebration says it all.”
Fordwich said that any reconciliation Harry has with his family is now dependent on “what he does and doesn’t say or do.”
“His actions are on the line, he must prove he truly wants a closer bond by displaying, finally, dignity and dedication to duty, not just to himself. Harry has repeatedly voiced his desire to have his children know the family of his birthright and country, to know their heritage. The entire family is in ‘wait and see mode.'”
Several royal experts believe that Harry’s recent trip to the U.K. and Ukraine was an attempt to improve his image. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023)
Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California. The couple aired their grievances in interviews and documentaries. The royal’s 2023 memoir, “Spare,” which exposes embarrassing details about the House of Windsor and his sibling rivalry, worsened tensions.
In July, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reported that Harry had quietly extended an olive branch by offering to share his official schedule of engagements. The outlet said this was meant to ease tensions with the king.
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The outlet also reported that Harry’s aides had a private meeting with the king’s communications secretary in London. Representatives for Buckingham Palace and the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment at the time.
Prince William and Prince Harry haven’t been seen together publicly in over a year. (Getty Images)
Harry and William were last seen together in Aug. 2024 at the funeral of their uncle, Lord Robert Fellowes. The brothers kept their distance.
“There have been many reports in the British press that William is still extremely angry with Harry and does not want his father softening his position by meeting with him or allowing contact,” Pelham Turner previously told Fox News Digital. “[It is understood] that King Charles feels it is his Christian duty to welcome Harry, Meghan Markle and their family back into the fold.”
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