A royal expert suggested the ‘ball is in Harry’s court’ when it comes to mending broken family ties.
Princess Kate’s silence ‘speaks a thousand words’ over Prince Harry rift.(Image: Max Mumby/Getty Images)
The relationship between the Princess of Wales and the Duke of Sussex still seems to be on thin ice, despite Prince Harry making progress in mending his relationship with this father during his last visit.
Last week, King Charles and his son met up face-to-face for the first time in 19 months in a historic meeting at Clarence House. While it may not have been a meeting to fix every issue that has arisen over the past few years – which is clear by the get-together only lasting 54 minutes – it is definitely a step in the right direction.
However, the same can’t be said for all of Harry’s royal relations, as the water still seems to be murky between the Duke and his brother and sister-in-law – Prince William and Princess Kate.
Royal expert, Duncan Larcombe, believes the frosty atmosphere is still very much in place due to the Prince and Princess of Wales not making a public acknowledgement of Harry’s 41st birthday – which took place on September 15, reports the Mirror.
The Prince and Princess of Wales seems to be struggling to forgive and forget after wrongdoings.(Image: Mark Cuthbert/Getty Images)
This noticeable silence surrounding the occasion is said to be a sure sign that the heirs to the throne are not as quick to forget any past wrongdoings.
Duncan told Ok!: “They didn’t post anything on his birthday, which the royals normally would do. So Kate’s message was loud and clear: the ball’s not in our court, Harry – it’s in yours.”
Due to strict royal protocol, Duncan explained that the couple are only able to make their feelings known about the current rift with Prince Harry through subtle signs. In this instance, the pair’s silence spoke a thousand words.
He said: “Neither Kate, nor William, can speak out publicly about Harry and Meghan. They have kept silent throughout all of this and rolled with all the punches, so they’re forced into subtle, secret messaging – which is what this seems to be.
“They’re not prepared to call Harry’s bluff by sending him joyful birthday wishes, so they remain silent and avoid him at all costs.”
While William and Kate seem reluctant to mend royal bridges, Harry has expressed that he would like to bring his children – Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – back to the UK for visits and have a closer bond with their UK side of the family.
Prince Harry has expressed that he would like to take his children over to the UK for more visits.(Image: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images)
Duncan went on to say: “I think Harry would love William and Kate to forgive him and Meghan. He’s been cast out, so why wouldn’t he want to come in from the cold? But equally, I’m not sure Harry has done anything to demonstrate publicly his desire to reconcile with his brother and Kate, and let bygones be bygones.”
However, Harry’s desires may not coincide with Meghan’s, as Duncan said: “As for Meghan, she has shown no signs of wanting reconciliation with any of the royals – she’s living her dream and promoting her own career. I don’t think she cares about what Kate and William think of her. She’s in her own Meghan bubble.”
This birthday snub is very telling of the Royal Family rift as last year Charles, William and Kate all sent Harry their well wishes on his 40th birthday.
The Royal Family’s official social media read last year: “Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!” This was then reposted on William and Kate’s joint account.
There are different beliefs circulating about the cause of the silence. Some think it is due to a 41st birthday not being a significant milestone, while others suspect that the royals were preoccupied with Donald Trump’s recent visit to the UK.
However, Duncan holds the belief that last week’s snub, along with the fact the brothers did not reunite during Harry’s four-day visit to the UK, gives a clear indication that the couple are struggling to move past past accusations.
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