A source told The Times that it was “a bit rum” to claim the Palace had been forewarned about the trip, when aides at both Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace had no knowledge of the trip before it was announced.
Interstingly, Harry’s office has refused to reveal when the courtesy warning was given – and to whom.
The different stances taken, has reignited the late Queen Elizabeth’s famous phrase “recollections may vary”, when responding to Harry and Meghan’s infamous TV interview with Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.
What is striking about the latest dispute between team Sussex and the Palaces, is the timing of it.
As the Royal Family continue to grapple with the fallout from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s Epstein scandals, Harry provides another headache for the Firm.
Instead of showing how much of an asset he once was, he’s pissing off the powers at be by hijacking William’s most important week of the year and then appearing to lie about it.
It may well be that the Toronto trip was long in the planning, but why not keep the Palace in the loop about it?
Just months earlier Harry’s aides sat down with the King’s in a bid to prevent diary clashes and open up a direct channel of communications. It was a chance for the Sussexes to prove that they’re friend, not foe, and were willing to work with the Palace, not against them.
But here we are again, with briefings and counterbriefings and the underlying frustrations from both camps.
Harry has long said he wants to reconcile with his father and wider Royal Family, and if he’s really set on that – he must ensure his office are working with, and not against, the Palace machine.