The secret peace summit held between Prince Harry and King Charles’ senior aides would ‘never’ have happened without the ‘support and understanding’ of Prince William, royal experts have claimed.
The meeting, held at a private members club in London, was the first step in a ‘rapprochement process’ to restore the broken relationship between the Duke, his wife Meghan and the rest of the Royal Family, the Mail on Sunday revealed yesterday.
And while royal experts have claimed a wounded Prince William will feel less inclined to resolve the feud than his father King Charles, they added the monarch would have undoubtedly consulted the heir to the throne before conducting any peace talks with Harry’s aides.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told : ‘The King and Harry are currently, we understood from Harry’s interview on the BBC, not speaking. This meeting obviously is a sign things are moving forward.
‘The King would never have made these moves without William’s support and understanding. William and Catherine are the future of the monarchy.
‘He has undoubtedly been furious at the way the Sussexes have behaved and undoubtedly regards Harry’s behaviour as treason of a sort. They reportedly have not spoken in over two years.’
He added: ‘Ideally, the Sussexes might like to drive a wedge between the King and the heir to the throne. They won’t succeed.’
Royal author Phil Dampier added: ‘The King is more anxious to patch things up than William, who I believe will never be close to his brother again.
‘I don’t think William will feel he has missed out on these talks as he is not in a frame of mind at the moment to make it up with Harry, and Catherine is certainly not interested in having a relationship with Meghan.’
Mr Dampier continued: ‘I have grave doubts that William will ever forgive his brother and this will confirm his worst fears that Harry and Meghan are trying to manipulate the situation to their own ends.’
It is not known whether it was Charles or Harry who extended the olive branch, but insiders said the summit is the strongest sign yet of the determination on both sides to resolve the bitter House of Windsor feud.
‘There’s a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in years,’ said a source. ‘There was no formal agenda, just casual drinks. There were things both sides wanted to talk about.’
Harry was represented by Meredith Maines, his chief communications officer and head of his household in Montecito, California, who flew in from Los Angeles.
She met Tobyn Andreae, the King’s communications secretary, at the Royal Over-Seas League (ROSL) a three-minute walk from Clarence House, the monarch’s London residence.
Also present was Liam Maguire, who runs the Sussexes’ PR team in the UK.
Overlooking Westminster and Green Park, The Royal Over-Seas League is considered among the most exclusive private members clubs in London.
Dedicated to ‘fostering international friendship and understanding’, it was fittingly selected as the location for the secret peace summit between the senior aides.
The Grade I-listed ROSL was founded in 1910 and offers an eyewatering subscription fee of £705, offering members luxury dining, clubhouse facilities and events programmes to promote international friendship.