Meghan Markle can’t handle the idea of Harry apologising to William
Meghan Markle can’t handle the idea of Harry apologising to William (Image: Getty)
For years, Prince Harry and Prince William’s fractured relationship has seemed almost impossible to repair. Interviews, accusations, Harry’s memoir Spare and deeply personal grievances being aired publicly have turned a sibling fallout into one of the Royal Family’s most bitter feuds.
But what happens if Prince Harry, 41, finally decides that six years of warfare is enough? Because rebuilding his relationship with William would almost certainly require compromise – and perhaps the two words we have heard precious little of throughout this entire saga: I’m sorry.
The Prince of Wales, 44, may have things he regrets too – none of us know what happened behind palace walls – but Prince Harry has publicly said an extraordinary amount about his elder brother, including his marriage and the institution he will one day lead.
An apology would therefore be more than an attempt to clear the air; it could fundamentally change Harry’s relationship with the family he left behind. And I suspect Meghan Markle can’t handle the idea of Harry apologising to William – not simply because of what that apology would say about the past, but because of where it could leave her in her husband’s future.
For years, Prince Harry and Meghan, 45, have largely stood together as one unit against the Royal Family, publicly explaining their departure through the prism of what they believe happened to them.
But the moment Harry apologises to William, that united front becomes far more complicated. Suddenly, the conversation isn’t about Harry and Meghan versus the institution; it’s about Harry rebuilding a relationship with his brother, and Meghan inevitably moves further into the background.
I can’t imagine she would relish watching a family reconciliation unfold in which she is no longer at the centre.
The two couples have been estranged for years (Image: GETTY)
And then there is the Princess of Wales – perhaps the most interesting person in this all. Prince Harry was once incredibly close to his sister-in-law; they were often snapped laughing behind the scenes – it’s hard to imagine that before Meghan came on the scene, the trio was once glued at the hip.
After everything Princess Catherine has endured with cancer, I wouldn’t be remotely surprised if time has given him a rather different perspective on just how precious those old relationships were.
If Harry and Prince William begin talking properly again, Catherine could naturally become part of his life once more, too, and that could revive a bond that existed long before Meghan arrived on the royal scene. For the Duchess, watching her husband grow closer to both William and Catherine after years of bitterness could surely be difficult to stomach.
Harry and Meghan once stood alongside William and Catherine as the Royal Family’s so-called ‘Fab Four’ before relations dramatically unravelled. (Image: Getty)
Most uncomfortable of all, however, is what an apology would represent. Prince Harry saying sorry would not automatically mean Meghan was wrong about everything, nor would it wipe away the Sussexes’ grievances, but it would puncture the rather convenient idea that responsibility for this almighty mess sits entirely on the other side of the Atlantic.
It could also mean Harry starts looking forward with his brother instead of endlessly looking backwards with Meghan – rebuilding relationships, reconnecting their families and perhaps even allowing their children to properly know one another.
Take that reconciliation far enough, and it could even pave the way for the Duke to have some form of working relationship with the monarchy again.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived last week ahead of their children setting in UK schools (Image: Getty)
Of course, where that would leave Meghan is far less clear. If Prince Harry wanted to move closer to the institution while his wife remained firmly outside it, the couple could suddenly find themselves heading in two very different directions – and that in itself creates a whole new set of problems.
And that, I suspect, is the real reason an apology could sting: Meghan wouldn’t just be watching Harry make peace with his past, she could be watching him build a future with the family – and perhaps even the institution they once left behind.
For a couple who walked away together, Prince Harry finding his way back without her could prove the most uncomfortable