The Duke of Sussex is reportedly seeking a private apology from his father, King Charles III, and brother, the Prince of Wales, before he makes any commitment to attend the coronation this spring.
The atmosphere between Prince Harry and the other members of the royal family remains “icy”, according to one report, as “ill will is still boiling over in the family”.
Harry previously refused to commit to attending the King’s coronation on 6 May unless Charles and Prince William are “willing to sit down and talk about” his allegations against the royal family.
In an ITV interview earlier this year, ahead of the release of his memoir Spare, Harry said that “the ball is in their court”, but “the door is always open” for reconciliation.
According to The Times, a source has claimed that Harry is keen to get an apology from Charles and William, but another previously said the royals do not believe that “an apology is owed”.
The Duke and Duchess are expected to receive an invitation to the coronation, but the source added: “I don’t think it will be wrapped in an apologetic bow. It will be, ‘Here is an invitation. Let us know if you are coming.’”
Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have accused Buckingham Palace of “leaking” and “planting” negative stories about her to distract the media and public from less favourable coverage about other members of the royal family.
In their six-part Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan, which was released in December, Harry spoke of a “dirty game” played by the royal household with the press. Meghan claimed she “wasn’t being thrown to the wolves; I was being fed to the wolves”.
On Friday (24 February), the Daily Mail quoted a source as saying that the situation between Harry and his family is a “toxic stalemate”.
Royal commentator and author of Finding Freedom (a biography about the Sussexes), Omid Scobie wrote this week that “no one, no matter how well-sourced, knows [the Sussexes’] plans” for the coronation.
“The couple has yet to be invited and can’t make a decision, nor any form of itinerary, until that happens,” he said in his column for Yahoo News.
Some reports have suggested that Harry may attend the coronation without Meghan, who may choose to stay in their California home to celebrate their son Archie’s fourth birthday, as it falls on the same day as the coronation.
In January, it was reported that Charles might be willing to make concessions with Harry to convince him to attend the coronation.
The Times’ source suggested that this may still be the case, as the King remains “more than happy to sit down and have a conversation with [Harry] about everything that has happened”.
“But it would not be a one-way street,” the source added. “He would be happy to talk and listen and understand. He has always tried to understand his son, even if he might not agree with him.”
It has been said that William may be less open to having a conversation with his younger brother.
Earlier reports said that William is concerned Harry will overshadow the event and use it as an opportunity for a “stunt”.
A source recently told the Daily Mail: “The relationship [between William and Harry] isn’t even rock bottom now, it’s non-existent. And I just don’t see, if Harry were to come to the coronation, how William could even bring himself to look his brother in the face.”
The Independent has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment.
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