The late Queen’s former press secretary has said expecting the Royal Family to welcome Prince Harry back to the Firm is a “big ask”, despite his recent Olive Branch interview.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, reportedly told friends he was returning to Britain to help with royal duties while his father undergoes cancer treatment.
The couple have had several “warm exchanges” since the monarch’s diagnosis with an unspecified type of cancer, it was claimed last night.
But after the release of Spare, the Netflix documentary series Harry and Meghan and the explosive interview with Oprah almost three years ago, a royal expert has said Harry has little chance of being invited back into the royal fold.
Dickie Arbiter, Queen Elizabeth’s former press secretary, said he doesn’t see “a family invitation coming soon,” adding, in the late queen’s words, “you’re either in or you’re out.”
He told MailOnline: ‘A 30-minute visit, in which he said he was lucky to get on the plane after almost four years of antagonism, is not going to smooth over the cracks, let alone his brother and the rest of the family. .
The Duke of Sussex, 39, reportedly told friends he was returning to Britain to help with royal duties while his father undergoes cancer treatment.
Following Meghan and Harry’s docu-series, Oprah interview and Spare, a royal expert says asking the royal family to welcome the Duke back to the Firm is a “big ask.”
‘He has thrown them away for four years. I don’t see a next invitation from the family (to return). You must remember that the late Queen made it very clear that you are either in or you are out.
‘By making these sorts of olive branch offers to come and help the family, there is still the issue of your business obligations – they won’t go away. It goes directly against what the late Queen said.
‘Suggesting a return would inevitably involve public appearances, but the question remains whether the British public would want to see it.
“We must remember that he did the interview when Prince Philip was very ill and the Queen was suffering from mobility problems and was becoming more fragile every day; all this was happening while Harry and Megan were doing their thing, criticizing the family.
‘We had an hour of Oprah, six hours of Netflix and over 400 pages of Harry’s book, Spare. Are we asking the royal family to turn the other cheek? That’s a great question.’
The duke leveled many accusations at the royal family in Spare, as well as alleging that he had a physical fight with his brother and heir to the throne, Prince William.
He claimed the Prince of Wales grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground, while breaking a dog bowl with his back. William then allegedly stated, “I didn’t attack you, Harold.”
The furious fight allegedly broke out in the kitchen of their London home, Nottingham Cottage, in the grounds of Kensington Palace in 2019, shortly before Megxit.
A royal source previously told The Times that Charles, 75, is eager to reconcile and see more of his son, and believes doing so would benefit the monarchy.
In Spare, Harry claimed that the Prince of Wales grabbed him by the neck and threw him to the ground, while breaking a dog bowl with his back.
In Spare, Harry called his mother-in-law, Queen Camilla, “dangerous” and a “villain” in his memoirs and alleged that she had “sacrificed” him to enhance her reputation.
In late 2022, the Harry and Meghan docuseries came out, where Prince Harry claimed they had to give up their royal duties to “protect” his wife and said there was a “huge level of unconscious bias” in the Royal Family.
He also called his mother-in-law, Queen Camilla, “dangerous” and a “villain” in his memoirs and alleged that she had “sacrificed” him to enhance her reputation.
At the end of 2022, the Harry and Meghan documentary series came out, where Prince Harry claimed that they had to give up their royal duties to “protect” his wife and said that there was a “huge level of unconscious bias” in the Royal Family .
He stated that the couple made the documentary series to combat so-called “misinformation” about them.
In March 2021, the Sussexes appeared on Oprah after ‘Megxit’ and alleged that some members of the royal family questioned ‘how dark (Archie’s) skin might be when he is born.’
Meghan also told Oprah that she and Kate had had a disagreement before the wedding, but alleged that the future queen actually made her cry, not the other way around.
Harry told the presenter that the couple left the company due to a “lack of support and lack of understanding” and claimed his father Charles had “stopped taking their calls”.
In his latest interview with Good Morning America, during his trip to Whistler, Canada, Harry said his father’s illness could have a “reunifying effect” on the family.
Harry also said “I love my family” and that he was “grateful” to be able to spend time with his dad when he flew back to the UK last week.
A royal source previously said The times that Carlos, 75, wants to reconcile and see more of his son, and believes doing so would benefit the monarchy.
The source told the newspaper: “On all practical levels it makes perfect sense for the family to come together to support the King while he is ill.”
Harry leveled many accusations at the royal family in Spare, as well as alleging that he had a physical fight with his brother and heir to the throne, Prince William. In the photo: William, Charles and Harry in 2014.
In 2021, Meghan told Oprah that she and Kate had had a disagreement before the wedding, but alleged that the future queen actually made her cry, not the other way around.
Harry said “I love my family” and that he was “grateful” to be able to spend time with his dad when he flew back to the UK last week.
Meghan appears at a training session for Curling competitors at the Invictus Games in Canada yesterday.
If Harry were to return to royal life, Charles and his aides would have to draw up a written plan before the duke could take on any official duties again.
“Much has been said on both sides in recent years, but that has never diminished the fundamental blood bond, and there are now pragmatic aspects to consider, with the welfare of the King and Kate being paramount in this.
“Details of the Clarence House meeting and subsequent conversations are private, but the feeling is that this deal could work.”
But Mr Arbiter said: “I don’t see it going anywhere.” Harry suggested in the interview that a reconciliation could result, but it’s not unlike the comment he made almost two years ago when he visited the Queen and told the Today show (on NBC) that he was just making sure she was protected. and he had the right people around him.
“He’s good with the soundbite, but this whole trip to Whistler seems like a big PR fest after the launch of his website.
“He has said too many things, like the fact that he had thought about American citizenship, and that means that you have to drop everything and become a simple ‘sir.’
“There are so many things he’s said that don’t add up; he would have to give up a lot of things and I don’t think he’s in a position to do that.” He is not willing to give up the brand.
‘And let’s not forget: the King is still working and fulfilling his constitutional duty. What he doesn’t do is go on tour, which will make him very sad because he likes to meet people.
‘He hasn’t stopped doing anything. “The wheels of the monarchy will continue to turn and have continued to turn without Harry.”
If Harry were to return to royal life, Charles and his aides would have to draw up a written plan before the duke could take on any official duties again.
The couple have come under fire in recent days for their new website Sussex.com, particularly over Meghan’s coat of arms, which critics say is a breach of their promise to the late Queen Elizabeth when they bitterly abandoned their royal duties as first line.
Her decision to change her children Archie and Lilibet’s surnames to Sussex has also raised eyebrows among royal watchers.
The measures have sparked a new round of criticism of the duke and duchess and renewed calls for their titles to be removed. But a rep said the couple “won’t break up.”
They added: ‘We have heard time and time again that certain opportunities are decisive for the couple. They are still here. They are still working and pursuing what they believe in, despite being constantly challenged and criticized. This couple will not break up.’
Last night Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the reports.