They had admitted, with great regret, that they would probably never hear from their old friend again, resigned to the belief that once-strong ties had been severed beyond repair. Yet suddenly, the phones of a select group of Prince Harry’s former confidants have been ringing with conciliatory messages. To their astonishment, the royal fugitive had reached out to them via WhatsApp, four years after he left the UK for California.
“It was a really big surprise,” a source told The Mail on Sunday.
It was a common belief among his friends that at Montecito the Duke of Sussex, ill-suited to the lifestyle there, had become a strangely surly figure, given to sermons and self-centred psychological jargon and, worse still, to launching unexpected attacks on his family.
That at least was the narrative woven by some and shared by many and is perhaps why Harry, angered by the criticism, was selective about who he contacted.
Interestingly, many of those who have not yet received an olive branch are among his older peers, including fellow Etonians. Of those favoured, several were friends acquired in more recent times.
Sources close to the Duke of Sussex have said he has taken steps towards ‘rehabilitation’ and possibly a partial return to the royal fold.
But as The Mail on Sunday reveals today, Harry didn’t just message old friends, he consulted at least one former aide from his days as a working royal, perhaps indicating that not everything is as sunny in California as he would have us believe.
“Harry is distancing himself from all kinds of Hollywood publicists and is seeking advice from his old friends and associates,” a source said. “It’s clear he’s looking for help because he thinks, ‘I need to do something different because what I’m doing is clearly not working.'”
The proposals herald what sources call the first steps towards what they hope will be Harry’s “rehabilitation” and possibly a partial return to royalty. Friends, keen to forgive and forget, have responded positively and want to actively help him smooth a path back to the UK.
Some refer to their task as Operation “Bring Harry in from the Cold.” The title is only half-serious, as a permanent move is out of the question.
But rather than sneaking in and out of the country like a fugitive, as he does now, the hope is that Harry will be able to spend what the source called “quality time” in the UK.
Friends applauded her last-minute visit to attend the memorial service for her uncle, Lord Fellowes, last week. Fortunately, it lasted at least four days and may yet prove a defining moment.
Much work needs to be done to mend bridges and rebuild friendships, but the Mail on Sunday has learned that a plan is already in place to move forward.
A friend has come up with a strategy to get Harry back into the UK. “He has drawn up a plan and will show it to Harry when the time is right,” the source said. “This person believes there is a real possibility that Harry could return to low-profile royal duties one day.”
‘He believes that if Harry returns to the UK quietly, without publicity and attending very mundane events, he could prove himself and win back the British public. However, he would have to accept that he might be reduced to opening a ceremony for a long period, but that would give him a purpose to work on again. It could happen, one day, if certain members of the family had the strength to allow it.’
In his memoirs Spare, Harry suggested that Kate was cold towards Meghan and that William once physically attacked him at Nottingham Cottage.
As things stand, it is hard to imagine Prince William agreeing to the plan, or any possible peace proposal. Too raw are the criticisms in Spare, Harry’s vitriolic memoir, in which he suggested that Kate was cold to Meghan and that William once physically attacked him, knocking him to the ground at Nottingham Cottage. To make clear the depth of their rift, it was claimed last month that William does not plan to invite his brother to his coronation.
But as some have pointed out, only half-jokingly, if Oasis’ warring brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher can reconcile, then anyone can.
Friends want an authority figure to lead the comeback campaign, someone around whom Harry’s top lieutenants can rally. The clear favourite is the duke’s former right-hand man, Edward Lane Fox, whom he first met during his military duties. One friend described him as the “great white hope” of the operation.
Another source told this newspaper: “If anyone can do it, it’s Edward. The last time I saw him, I felt like grabbing him by the shoulders and saying: ‘Ed, please bring our boy home. Now is the right time.’”
As Harry’s private secretary, Lane Fox, a former captain in the Household Cavalry, is credited with helping the Prince improve his image after he was photographed naked on a trip to Las Vegas in 2012. Lane Fox was also a big help in helping former actress Meghan adjust to royal life. She reportedly described him as a “heaven send”.
Asked about leading the campaign, Mr Lane Fox told the MoS: “I’m afraid it’s not something I have a view on.”
Much has changed, of course, since the two last worked together in 2018, when Harry and Meghan were hugely popular in the UK. Now, the couple find themselves near the bottom of a poll of favourite royals, hence the desire to draw on the wisdom of “old-school aides” for whom duty and discretion are watchwords.
Harry, who turns 40 later this month, is said to be at a crossroads. One former aide said: “All he does is spend his time looking back. I wish he could just turn his neck and look forward.”
Harry didn’t cut all ties when he moved to California. He remained in touch with Charlie van Straubenzee, a friend from high school, and Mark Dyer, a former equerry to the king.
Harry has decided not to update the paperback version of his book or give interviews to promote it.
But on the other hand, the source said: “He’s so estranged from his oldest (and, in theory, closest) friends. It’s gotten to a point where he’s become so disconnected that he feels like he can’t communicate directly with his old friends. There’s a sense at home that this is unsustainable. It’s just time to go back to the way things were.”
Many of Harry’s friends supported his decision to move to the United States, believing his motives were largely sound. Who could blame him for wanting to settle down and raise a family in a peaceful environment, they argued, away from the whirlwind of royal life and its attendant pressures? “There’s nothing wrong with wanting those things and looking for a fresh start,” the source said. “His friends acknowledge that his goals were noble.”
What caused consternation, however, was the undignified manner in which he and Meghan left, and that turned to anger when Harry began publicly criticising his family.
Charles was portrayed as an emotionally stunted father who married Camilla despite his children’s pleas not to let her play the role of “evil stepmother” and who was jealous of his children’s popularity. In an interview with CBS, Harry said he had seen Camilla as a “villain” who “left dead bodies in the street” in her quest to improve her image.
The fact that Harry’s friends, unlike William, can now overlook these deeply hurtful comments is a sign of his capacity for mercy. A source said: “It is because his original intention was not malicious that there is a path to forgiveness for him.”
Before he got married, Harry had the protection of a Praetorian Guard in the UK. As well as supporting him in times of crisis, these loyalists actively helped him find a new girlfriend after he broke up with Chelsy Davy. When he started dating Cressida Bonas, they brought her into their world by gently introducing her to Prince William.
A source said: “Their circle of friends can be a huge force for good when they come together with Harry’s best interests in mind.”
For his part, Harry seems to be much less resentful of late. In fact, there are signs that he is softening, that he is reluctant to put any further pressure on the House of Windsor.
There was concern that the next paperback edition of Spare would contain further revelations, but to the relief of his family, Harry decided not to update it or give interviews to publicise it.
Repairing his relationship with his father, though not his brother, is seen as an achievable goal and an outcome both want. The minister of state revealed last week that the king had received advice from spiritual leaders that led him to contemplate healing their rift. It was feared he would never see his grandchildren, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, again because Harry refuses to bring his family to the UK.
“That situation could still change,” a source said.
“The significant thing is that the first steps have already been taken.”
