King Charles III‘s cancer diagnosis is obviously a dark time for the royal family, but is it possible that some good could come of it? Months after Charles was diagnosed with an unknown form of cancer, royal PR experts have said that he’s invited his estranged son Prince Harry and Harry’s wife Meghan to the royal home in Balmoral for the summer. Harry and Meghan have been at odds with the royal family, and especially Harry’s older brother Prince William of Wales, for some time now, but could the monarch’s health crisis be the thing that pulls the family back together?
King Charles “Hints” That Harry and Meghan Should Come to Balmoral to Bury the Hatchet
King Charles III was diagnosed with cancer in early February, following what everyone thought was going to be a routine medical procedure. In the immediate aftermath of the diagnosis, Charles’s sons, William and Harry, traveled to be with him, though they notably made their visits separately. Harry, who to the UK from his home in LA, kept his visit with his father remarkably short, reportedly only 30 to 45 minutes, and didn’t meet with William at all.
Tensions between the Duke of Sussex and the Prince of Wales have been noticeably high since Harry and his wife Meghan announced their decision to step down as working royals in 2020. Harry and Meghan moved their young family to Los Angeles after the announcement, and Prince William and Kate stayed in the UK. Still, the split between the brothers is more than geographical, despite King Charles’s stalwart attempts to play peacemaker between his sons.
Now, Charles has taken his role as mediator up a notch, especially as Prince William’s wife Kate battles her own cancer diagnosis. According to The Mirror, royal expert Tom Quinn has said that Charles has been dropping hints that Harry and Meghan should visit the royal home at Balmoral this summer, especially since Harry will already be in the UK for the Invictus Games.
“According to people I’ve spoken to at Kensington Palace King Charles has hinted to Harry and Meghan that they should come to Balmoral in the summer to see if something can be done about the ongoing feud in the family…Charles knows that Harry and Meghan are much more likely to respond positively to an invitation after the shock of Harry’s father’s cancer diagnosis and Kate’s cancer diagnosis. It’s one of those situations where good might just come out of bad.
Tom Quinn/The Mirror
Royal PR experts seem to have high hopes that the visit should lead to reconciliation between Harry and the royal family, especially between him and William. They say that Charles’s cancer diagnosis should have put an end to the feud already, as “petty matters” take a backseat to the monarch’s health crisis.
In reality, it’s hard to say if this theory will hold up in practice or if Harry and Meghan will even accept the invitation to reconcile. On top of that, Prince William has been busy supporting his wife, Kate, after her own diagnosis. Will he be able to hold up his end of the bargain? Or will the royal feud continue despite the King’s wishes and health crisis?