
Prince William's absence at King Charles and Prince Harry's 'peace summit' could be a 'warning shot': expert
"The important issue is that Prince William and his representatives were not invited," royal expert Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital. "I feel that this was a warning shot across William's bows that Charles is king – not him. … It may also be a stark warning that Charles will decide what happens during his reign, not William."
According to the Mail on Sunday, Meredith Maines, the Duke of Sussex's chief of staff and communications director, flew from California to London recently to meet with the king's communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae. Liam Maguire, who oversees U.K. press for Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, was also present.
The informal meeting was reportedly held at the Royal Over-Seas League, a private club located a short walk from Clarence House, the king's London residence.
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace and Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, for comment.
"It is a sign from King Charles that he wants peace with Harry and Meghan and to meet his grandchildren," Turner claimed.
Fox News Digital learned that Maines was in London to meet with the U.K.-based communications team, media, stakeholders and senior figures connected to Harry's patronages. It's understood that the visit was routine and part of ongoing planning and engagement.
A source told the Mail Sunday that the meeting was only the "first step towards reconciliation between Harry and his father, but at least it is a step in the right direction."
WATCH: PRINCE HARRY, PRINCE WILLIAM NEED AN INTERVENTION TO END FEUD: EXPERT
"Everyone just wants to move on and move forward now. It was finally the right time for the two sides to talk," the source added.
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams claimed to Fox News Digital that William, heir to the British throne, likely knew of the meeting but chose not to get his aides involved. Experts previously told Fox News Digital William and Harry are not on speaking terms.
"The king is still battling cancer and is in his late 70s," said Fitzwilliams. "He wants a relationship with his grandchildren, whom he has hardly met. He is also temperamentally more accommodating than William. But [William] cannot trust the Sussexes. They must know it. The prospect of seeing the Sussexes at royal events would enrage the monarchy's loyal supporters. … Of course, reconciliation is desirable [for the king]. It would, however, come at a price."
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals and moved to California in 2020, citing unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. After their exit, the couple aired grievances in interviews, documentaries and in Harry's 2023 memoir, "Spare."
In his book, Harry, 40, appears to be tormented by his status as a royal "spare" behind William, 43. He recounts a long-standing sibling rivalry that worsened after Harry began a relationship with Meghan, 43, whom he married in 2018.
"From a positive private family stance, some personal healing between father and son would be good," British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. "King Charles will always love his son, and, in light of the king's ongoing cancer treatment, it could help tidy up the messy fractured relationship.
"King Charles is living with cancer, which makes his family situation very sad," Chard noted. "I'm sure he is thinking about his mortality and reevaluating his life. He would not want a family feud tarnishing his positive contributions and memory. I'm sure he will also want to clear up unresolved issues or surprises that could lead to further resentment and conflict between his two sons.
"Life is too short for battles," Chard continued. "However, without Prince William's inclusion in the rapprochement, I can't see a positive outcome. It could also cause a wedge between Charles and William despite the king most certainly consulting with William."
But not everyone feels that way.
"It was a good first step," an insider told People magazine. "There's optimism that it can be taken forward."
According to the outlet, it's not known whether Harry and Charles, 76, have spoken recently. In May, Harry told the BBC he wanted reconciliation but that his father wouldn't speak to him. Sources previously told People the king wouldn't respond to Harry's letters or phone calls.
"I would love reconciliation with my family," said Harry. "There's no point in continuing to fight anymore."
But British royals expert Hilary Fordwich said she wasn't buying the so-called peace summit.
"My instincts say that Harry is desperate," Fordwich claimed. "And King Charles loves his son and wants to have a restored relationship. However, this tentative step in any fragile peace process was marred by the leak of the meeting's details and photos. How on Earth was the media there?. … Both sides [have] expressed frustration regarding how such a leak jeopardizes the process, with now suspicions and distrust being resurrected.
"Prince William is likely viewing this leak as being true to form for the Sussexes," Fordwich claimed. "It further reinforces his stance that any reconciliation or indeed dialogue with the Sussexes will become public."
Chard also wondered how the details of what was supposed to be a private meeting became public so quickly.
"The trust line seems to have been overstepped yet again," Chard claimed. "The story broke as the Prince and Princess of Wales received glowing media attention at Wimbledon. This was promptly overshadowed by the leaked reconciliation story. … The PR machine is seemingly in full play. It wouldn't surprise me if everything was filmed and will soon be featured in a new Netflix show.
"But … wouldn't it be great if a fairytale reconciliation was in the cards or even a diplomatic agreement to disagree and move on?"
Fitzwilliams previously told Fox News Digital William and Harry, once seemingly inseparable siblings, have "less in common than we imagined."
"'Spare' made this pretty clear," said Fitzwilliams. "Harry resented the way he was treated as a bit of a joker and the royal wild child. He was also traumatized by the death of his mother, and resentment about security issues stems directly from this. This was very clear in his angry interview recently on the BBC.
"William undoubtedly and rightly feels betrayed by Harry as [the interviews and memoir] were so damaging. At the heart of this is the fact that he feels he cannot trust his brother or Meghan ever again."
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jordan, other countries could airdrop aid into Gaza as humanitarian crisis worsens
The Kingdom of Jordan will airdrop humanitarian aid into Gaza as Palestinians face widespread starvation and diplomatic talks over a ceasefire break down, a source familiar with the operation told ABC News. Jordan's Royal Air Force will restart the drop by beginning to draw from a stockpile of 500 tons of food in Amman, the source said. Military aircraft will drop the food into designated drop zones, which are being coordinated with Israeli authorities, according to an Israeli security official. The airdrops, an operation viewed by the humanitarian officials as a last resort, come as dire conditions in Gaza teeter toward a famine, which the United Nations warns is on the horizon. MORE: 'They're losing hope': What doctors, aid workers are seeing in Gaza amid hunger crisis Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who appeared in Washington this week alongside the Jordanian Foreign Minister, ignored questions from ABC News about how the U.S. could improve the deteriorating humanitarian situation for Gaza and particularly for the enclave's children, who are starving at alarming rates. President Donald Trump expressed frustration Friday morning after the U.S. and Israel recalled negotiating teams in the region Thursday, blaming gridlocked talks on Hamas and suggesting Israel would ramp up its war efforts. "They pulled out in terms of negotiating," Trump said. "It was too bad [that] Hamas didn't really want to make a deal." Hamas said Thursday it was "surprised" the US pulled back its negotiators, saying "mediators have expressed appreciation" for the terror group's "constructive and positive stance" in the talks. Trump said diplomacy is at a point where Israel is "going to have to finish the job," suggesting military action as an answer. "You're going to have to get rid of" Hamas, he said. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, said "alternative options" would be weighed to bring Israeli hostages held by Hamas home. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu echoed Witkoff's sentiment, but neither elaborated on what the options were. The president said aid is blocked by Hamas and that the U.S. "is going to do more" for the humanitarian situation in Gaza. MORE: More than 30 killed at controversial foundation's aid distribution sites in Gaza: Health officials Jordan's emergency humanitarian response would be joined by the United Arab Emirates, the Israel official said. Flights over Gaza coordinated by the Israel Defense Forces and COGAT, the Israeli organization in charge of facilitating aid into the Gaza Strip, could begin in the coming days, the Israeli source said. The renewed airdrops are expected to surpass the scale of airdrops conducted by Jordan in 2024, which delivered over 1,000 tons of aid to Palestinians, the source familiar with the operation told ABC News. Cases of severe malnutrition in children under 5 in Gaza have tripled in just two weeks, according to Doctors Without Borders, also known as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). At MSF clinics, 1 in 4 children who were screened -- as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women -- are malnourished, the emergency doctors say. One in three people in the enclave, 70% of whose territory is controlled by Israel, have not eaten for multiple days in a row, the World Food Programme said this week. Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, the largest UN agency operating in Gaza, warned in a post on X that airdrops are the "most expensive and inefficient way to deliver aid," calling them a "distraction to the inaction." Jordan conducted airdrops with US Central Command in the spring of 2024 in an effort to step up aid as the war in Gaza stretched into its sixth month. Then-Secretary of State Antony Blinken thanked the Jordanian King in an April 2024 phone call, noting that the US-Jordanian airdrops delivered over 1,000 tons of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians. MORE: More than 100 aid groups warn of 'mass starvation' in Gaza amid Israel's war with Hamas The war is now just short of two years, and aid is limited to a trickle of aid convoys and distribution coordinated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed private company that has faced widespread criticism as its aid distribution points have been marked with violence and chaos since they began operating at the end of May. Over 1,000 people have been killed at aid distribution sites since May, the UN has said. Israel said it had initiated a review into an incident Sunday in which dozens of Palestinians were killed at an aid site after acknowledging troops fired near crowds. It said the probe was ongoing but a "preliminary review indicates that the reported number of casualties does not align with existing information." Just over a third of aid trucks that entered Gaza between May 31 and June 2 were received by humanitarian organizations for distribution, the UN reported in June. The meager quantities of aid and GHF-run distribution sites are the only aid permitted by Israeli authorities. Trucks flowed into Gaza across the Kerem Shalom border crossing over the past week, according to an Israeli security official, who said as many as 150 reached international organizations in Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday. The UN said that as many as 500 trucks entered the Strip on a daily basis before the outset of the war on Oct. 7, 2023. The State Department said Thursday that Hamas was to blame for chaos and death at distribution sites and insufficient assistance reaching people in need. Hamas has said in the past that Israel is not allowing sufficient aid into the Strip. After the U.S. pulled a negotiating team meeting with Qataris intermediaries in Doha, Tommy Pigott, the State Department's Deputy Spokesperson, said ceasefire talks were not advancing because of Hamas, the terror organization whose October 7, 2023, attack on Israel initiated the war. "This humanitarian conflict lies at the feet of Hamas, who could end this conflict today by releasing the hostages and laying down their arms," Pigott said. The Jordanian Royal Air Force's C-130s, which conducted the drops in 2024 and can carry 14 tons of food each, will be tasked with the operation again, a source familiar with the matter told ABC News. The drops could include high-energy biscuits, each providing enough daily nutrients for a child. Two biscuits would sustain an adult for the day. Aid organizations say children in Gaza are starving to death in increasing numbers. A statement from UNICEF, the UN's agency for children, points to more than four who reportedly died in the last 48 hours -- and note that some 80% of the deaths in Gaza from malnutrition have been children. "These deaths are unconscionable - and could have been prevented," said Edouard Beigbeder, the agency's director for the Middle East. "The UN-led humanitarian response must be allowed to function fully through unfettered aid access to children in need," he said.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sir Keir Starmer is caught between Trump, Macron and MPs over Palestine recognition
Parliament may have shut up shop for a six-week summer break, but MPs and the French president are turning up the heat on Sir Keir Starmer over the Middle East. More than one in three of all 650 MPs have written to the prime minister calling on the UK to recognise a Palestinian state at a United Nations conference next week. In response to the call, his answer is essentially: Yes, but not yet. That, of course, won't satisfy the 222 MPs backing an all-party letter to the PM penned by the Labour MP Sarah Champion. The majority of names on the letter, predictably, are Labour, Lib Dem and SNP MPs. But there are some Tory big hitters too, including Father of the House Sir Edward Leigh and former cabinet minister Kit Malthouse. Until now, the PM and foreign secretary David Lammy have argued that the gesture of recognising Palestine on its own won't end what Sir Keir himself calls "the appalling scenes in Gaza". But the pressure for recognition isn't just coming from MPs. French President Emmanuel Macron has said France will recognise a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Read more: Might Mr Macron - whose bromance with the PM during his state visit to the UK could not have been warmer - persuade Sir Keir to do the same? Possibly. He's not ruling it out. But there's one big obstacle to Sir Keir bowing to the pressure from MPs and the French president. And that's the towering figure who's in Scotland this weekend: the golfing president of the United States. When Donald Trump was asked about President Macron's vow to recognise Palestine in September, his response was brutal and bordering on condescending. "What he says doesn't matter," the president told reporters at the White House as he headed for Air Force One. "He's a very good guy. I like him, but that statement doesn't carry weight." Ouch! But the US president's unflinching support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu places Sir Keir in an awkward spot: Caught between the opposing stances of the French and US presidents. The PM is, therefore, also under pressure from President Trump, and he won't want to fall out with him when he meets him this weekend. Hence, his carefully worded statement responding to the letter from the MPs. Appearing to try and please the US and French presidents - and the large number of Labour MPs backing Sarah Champion's letter - Sir Keir said he's "working on a pathway to peace" in the Middle East. He spoke of "concrete steps" to turn a ceasefire into a lasting peace and said recognition of a Palestinian state "has to be one of those steps", adding: "I am unequivocal about that." And he concluded: "But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis. "This is the way to ensure it is a tool of maximum utility to improve the lives of those who are suffering - which of course, will always be our ultimate goal." Read more from Sky News: As well as his own statement, the PM issued a joint statement with President Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, both of whom have held talks with Sir Keir in the UK in the past fortnight. That statement was tough, beginning: "The time has come to end the war in Gaza." It went on: "The humanitarian catastrophe that we are witnessing in Gaza must end now." Yet there's little sign of either the war or the humanitarian catastrophe ending any time soon. And that means that throughout parliament's summer break, MPs will no doubt continue to turn up the heat on the PM.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump Says U.S. Has ‘50-50 Chance' of Reaching Trade Deal With EU
President Trump arrived in Scotland to meet the U.K. and the European Union leaders, saying the U.S. has a 'good, 50-50 chance' to strike a trade deal with the EU. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data