Following a series of run-ins with the rest of the royals, things reached fever pitch last week when Prince Harry spoke out in yet another bombshell interview.
Following his legal defeat at the Court of Appeal – where the Duke of Sussex, 40, had been seeking to overturn the decision to downgrade his UK security after he moved to the US with his wife Meghan Markle – Harry expressed his hopes for a ‘reconciliation’ with his family.
But the interview left a sour taste with some royal fans, who branded it a ‘whinge-fest’ and blasted the prince’s ‘lack of discretion’. And despite her husband’s words, insiders now tell Closer that Meghan, 43, is determined to cut ties with Harry’s family for good – with no going back.
A source reveals, ‘Harry is keen to repair relations with his family, but that’s the last thing on Meghan’s mind at the moment. Although Harry doesn’t want to permanently move back to the UK, he has been pushing for a home there that he can visit regularly.
Meghan is trying to avoid returning to the UK ©Astrida Valigorsky/Getty Images
‘But even if the Sussexes’ security team is made up of elite special forces, Meghan will find an excuse to avoid coming to the UK. Harry is doing everything he can to try to protect his family, but Meghan is unconvinced. Security is, of course, a factor, but she doesn’t feel welcomed by the British people or the royal family, so that has a large part to play.’
In his recent interview with the BBC, Harry spoke of his desire to come home with his young family, but said he ‘can’t see a world in which we would be back at this point’ – thanks to their lack of Home Office security personnel. ‘I love my country. I always have done. Despite what some people in that country have done,’ he continued, before highlighting the impact it will have on the couple’s children, Archie, six, and three-year-old Lilibet.
‘I miss the UK, of course I do. I think that it’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.’
He added of his dad, King Charles, 76 – who was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024 and last week led the royals at VE Day commemorative events – ‘I would love reconciliation with my family.
Prince Harry gave a bombshell interview to BBC News ©YouTube/BBC News
‘There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff.’
The rest of the royals have remained stony-faced about Harry’s olive branch – not least his brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton. Once dubbed the ‘Fab Four’, the Prince and Princess of Wales have been at loggerheads with the Sussexes for over half a decade, with Harry revealing a number of explosive claims in his 2023 autobiography. These included that his brother had physically attacked him, and how William, 42, allegedly branded Meghan ‘difficult’, ‘rude’ and ‘abrasive’.
And despite reports that the Duchess of Sussex had allegedly made her sister-in-law cry, Meghan claimed in 2021 that it was actually Kate, 43, who reduced her to tears, over a disagreement about flower-girl dresses for her 2018 wedding. She also said she was ‘silenced’ by the royal family and directed to never comment on false reports. Amid the feud, it’s been widely reported that Kate – who announced earlier this year that she’s now in remission from cancer – had been pushing for a reconciliation between Harry and William behind the scenes.
But a second insider tells Closer that Meghan now wants to do her own tell-all interview to share her side of the story. ‘Meghan feels like it’s time to get fully involved with her husband’s family drama on a public level,’ they say. ‘She already feels like Harry is being unfairly portrayed as bitter following his interview, and wants to do her own tell-all to back up his claims about their lack of security. Meghan doesn’t feel the public truly understands, and wants to give examples of times when her safety has been put at risk. She is willing to speak about some of the darker aspects of their life.’
Get the best celeb interviews in Closer magazine every week ©Bauer Media
They continue, ‘Meghan wants to speak out in detail about the ‘cold war’ she and Harry have endured, just because the royals have stayed silent, it doesn’t necessarily mean they haven’t been contributing to this bitter family rift.
‘Up until now, she has felt it best to try to keep positive, but after seeing Harry wear his heart on his sleeve, she feels she should be more aligned with her husband. She realises that she’s been harping on about their happy life, but the truth is, Harry is clearly very angry about his situation. Harry had hopes of being closer to his family and building bridges, but Meghan’s not keen and has told him “I want out”. It’s back to the drawing board.’
The insider adds, ‘Of course, Meghan has strong connections with Oprah Winfrey and Gayle King, both of whom would jump at the chance to give her another platform to speak. Meghan wants to stand up for her man. She wants to remind the world that at the core of it all, they are two humans who have been unfairly treated from the very beginning of their love story.’
But while Meghan has Harry’s best interests at heart, the major question mark over whose preferred path they will take – to cut off or try to make amends with his family – is causing tension between them.
The source says, ‘Harry had hopes of being closer to his family as it’s important for him to try to build bridges. But Meghan is quite firm on not wanting to return to the UK, which has caused them to butt heads. If it continues, forget the High Court and security disputes – this could end up in the divorce courts.’
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