So blood really does run thicker than water after all.
Despite numerous reports to the contrary, we have finally learned that Prince Harry flew home to Britain earlier this week to attend the funeral of his uncle, Lord Fellowes.
While some in royal circles insisted this did not represent a thaw in relations between Harry and William, the significance of the estranged prince’s last-minute visit cannot be overstated. And as one person close to both brothers told me: “Well, it’s a start.”
William and Harry walk together to meet the public at Windsor Castle in September 2022
Not only does it mark the first time this year that the brothers have been in a room together, but it also provides the biggest indication yet of Harry’s desire to reconcile with the House of Windsor.
Lord Fellowes, who was married to Princess Diana’s sister Lady Jane, was honoured at a ceremony in Snettisham, Norfolk. He was one of the late Queen’s most trusted advisers and served as her private secretary between 1990 and 1999, notably advising Her Majesty during the traumatic Windsor Castle fire in 1992, as well as Diana and Charles’ marital crisis.
He also played a crucial role following the death of the Princess of Wales in Paris in 1997.
Harry and William are known to have sat apart towards the back of the church during the memorial, not wanting to distract from the sober commemorations.
But what exactly are we to take away from Harry’s surprise visit?
Firstly, it shows that Harry, like his mother Diana, sees himself first and foremost as a Spencer. Diana may have had a semi-state funeral as Princess of Wales, but she was buried as a Spencer at Althorp House, the family residence in Northamptonshire.
And while Harry may be estranged from the Windsors, he has always remained resolutely close to his mother’s family.
Let us not forget that it was his aunt, the now widowed Lady Jane Fellowes, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that Harry did not feel isolated following his departure from royal life. While the palace doors were slammed shut in Harry’s face, Lady Jane kept a channel of communication open.
Having seen the catastrophic consequences of her sister’s departure from the Royal Family, Lady Jane knew how important it was to look after Harry. By attending her husband’s funeral, Harry was able to repay a small part of that generosity.
When Harry’s mother died, it was Lady Jane and her elder sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, who attended their nephew’s sporting matches at Eton. It was they who ensured that Harry received the 13th birthday present that the late princess had selected for him. In many ways, Lady Jane and Lady Sarah were surrogate mothers to the young princes.
In fact, although it has never been officially acknowledged, I understand that Lady Jane is godmother to Harry and Meghan’s son Archie. She appears in the official christening photos and played a major role in the couple’s wedding.
And more than anyone, Jane Fellowes knows how much her younger sister wanted her two sons to always be together, no matter what. So it makes sense that she wanted to use even her husband’s funeral as an opportunity for a rapprochement.
But there’s another reason Harry might have wanted to be with his blood family this week.
Yesterday marked the 27th anniversary of his mother’s death, a poignant coincidence that would not have gone unnoticed by any of those attending Lord Fellowes’ funeral the previous day.
Every year since Diana died in 1997, Harry and William have made a pilgrimage to their mother’s grave around the anniversary of her death. They used to do it together, but in recent years they have done it separately.
That they were together again this year during their mother’s birthday week is deeply symbolic.
Harry would have known this before deciding to attend the memorial. It seems very clear to me that he is finally ready for a rapprochement.
The question is why? And why now?
There is a very real possibility that the brothers’ attendance, away from the glare of the media, was orchestrated by Lady Jane and Lady Sarah. Both have a close relationship with the brothers and have long wished for the two to reconcile. However, Harry would not have attended without the support of his wife, Meghan, either. It seems there may be some cold, hard logic coming out of sunny Montecito.
Now that her media empire is a fading dream, the former actress knows that her future prospects now depend entirely on Harry’s connection to the royal family. That’s what makes her relevant. That’s what convinces publishers, film producers and podcast studios to print huge checks in the couple’s name.
In other words, Harry had to go to the memorial to remind everyone who he really is (or was).
But ironically, the timing of Harry’s olive branch couldn’t be worse, as the paperback edition of Spare, his bestselling and utterly evil autobiography, is due out in October.
Typically, publishers like to include new details in the paperback to convince those who bought the hardcover edition to buy the book again.
It is, however, highly notable that Harry has decided not to include any new stories, and certainly none that might further damage the royal brand. He has also decided, as first reported by the Daily Mail, not to give any more interviews to promote the book. And yet the hype that will no doubt surround the publication of the paperback edition is unlikely to convince William that Harry deserves a second chance.
Could Harry have breached his contract and persuaded his publisher – Penguin Random House – to delay the next edition? William will surely think he should have moved heaven and earth to do so.
Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan have announced they will be attending Climate Week events in New York next month, something the prince no doubt had in mind on his way back to California.
Meanwhile, King Charles is known to have sought advice from religious leaders on how to deal with his rebellious younger son. I understand the monarch is now willing to reach a truce with Harry, although it is unclear how easily such a truce may be reached.
What is certain is that Harry’s final visit to Britain is of great significance. If the prince succeeds in improving relations with the royal family, historians will point to the tribute to Lord Fellowes as a crucial moment.
However, there is a long way to go before Harry truly finds himself back in the royal fold.
(tags to translate)dailymail
