Before Harry’s pathetic four-day ‘pseudo royal’ tour this week, visiting the few remaining UK charities prepared to be associated with him, his friends were busy briefing the media that his dearest hope is ‘to bring his family back home to Britain’ – and reconcile with the House of Windsor.
Yet there is one person acting as a major stumbling block in this deluded quest. No, not Harry’s cancer-stricken father, King Charles, who is believed to want to get to know his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet while he still has time.
Instead, I believe Harry’s happy-ever-after dreams will founder at the hands of his poor, betrayed brother. Mark my words: when William becomes King and Catherine his queen – many years hence, I hope – Harry and Meghan will never be welcomed back into the bosom of the Royal Family. The Sussexes’ visits to Harry’s homeland will be rare or non-existent – and the disgraced Duke and his grasping wife will be booed wherever they go.
Charles loves both his sons, and is a kind and forgiving man. But William can never – and should never – forget the betrayal inflicted on him by his younger brother. William lives by a deeply honourable code of duty, while his dimwitted younger sibling barely knows the meaning of that word.
Prince Harry steps out of a car after being escorted to the Royal Lancaster hotel for the WellChild Awards today
Harry laughs with his father during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Invictus Games
It cannot have escaped even Harry’s notice that during his bizarre ‘peace and reconciliation tour’ around Britain this week, William has been entirely unavailable, thanks to what Palace sources have called ‘official engagements elsewhere’.
Could it be more obvious? Of course William could have found the time to see Harry if he had wanted to. As things stand, I doubt that California-dreaming Harry will even be invited to William’s coronation, when it comes. Even if William does find it in his heart to extend a formal invitation to the balding man-child, you can be sure he’ll be wondering if he can relegate Harry, Megs and their kids to the back pews of Westminster Abbey. And before you ask, Harry, no, you can’t bring a Netflix crew.
The biggest question hanging over the brothers’ future relationship is: will King William V eventually strip the Sussexes of their HRH titles? There is a precedent for that, as both Diana and Fergie had their HRH titles unceremoniously removed once they were no longer working royals. And, frankly, Harry has far outdone both those women in the bad-behaviour stakes.
The Duke of Sussex visited the late Queen’s grave in Windsor on the third anniversary of her death today
William could have made time to see his wayward, back-stabbing younger sibling if he chose to – and the fact that he hasn’t says everything, writes Amanda Platell
The Prince and Princess of Wales view tributes left to the late Queen outside Windsor Castle in 2022, with Harry and Meghan
The nuclear option would be for the future King William to strip Harry of his dukedom. Although this would require an Act of Parliament, it would still likely happen if the monarch wished it.
And I wouldn’t put it past William to inflict either or both of those indignities on Harry. For if there is one thing I have noticed in the future King, having observed him all his 43 years, it’s that he is a man who truly lives by Queen Elizabeth’s great maxim: ‘Never complain, never explain’. And more than that: never forget, either.
Just think about it. As charismatic, telegenic, newly wedded young royals, Harry and Meghan had a responsibility to play their part in securing the future of a fragile, some say outdated, institution. Instead, they bolted to make their grubby millions.
Now, with the King in his fourth year as monarch, soldiering on despite his illness, the pressure that’s been heaped on the younger royals has been immense – especially with the Princess of Wales having been treated for her own serious cancer, too.
William could be forgiven for wondering whether the stress Kate must have suffered after the Sussexes’ departure – with the fallout from the Oprah interview and Harry’s tawdry memoir Spare, for instance – may have worsened her illness. That is a hurt that never goes away.
And where has Harry been since then? Playing a walk-on role for his wife’s commercial ambitions, feeding his chooks and teaching his kids how to surf in the Californian sunshine.
His fake royal tour this week surely only adds to the stress levels of both the King and the future king. This is Harry’s longest trip to Britain since 2022, when Queen Elizabeth died.
How it must stick in the craw of loyal working royals that Prince Harry now expects he can swan back to Britain and reclaim his position as the playful, lovable Prince, after all his abuse and betrayals.
Memo to Harry: soft lad, you have no ‘family’ here. You abandoned them when they needed you most, all for 30 pieces of silver. Hell will freeze over before our future King William or any of us loyal monarchists will ever welcome you back.
