Desperate Harry's fed-up of being a floundering house-husband & wants back in royal fold – here's why damage is done
Prince Andrew 's nephew, Harry, has been quietly negotiating behind the scenes to edge himself back into the royal fold.
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Despite his apparent utter contempt for the monarchy, the Duke of Sussex evidently instructed his senior aides to attend the secret summit with the King's communications secretary.
Well, so secret that the whole meeting was snapped by a handily placed photographer.
A bottle of wine — presumably not a £21 bottle of Meghan 's As Ever rosé — was given to Harry's team by Charles 's spokesman, Tobyn Andreae.
A class touch from a team who owe the moaning Montecito one nothing.
While it is not known who instigated the peace talks, it's clear that Harry wants back in.
As well he might. Because with his wife's influencer career on the rise, and her lifestyle brand flying, poor old Harry has been left floundering on the sidelines.
His vanity project, a Netflix show about egalitarian polo, tanked and he's now basically a full-time house husband. Mr Markle, if you will.
In May, he gave that astonishing interview to the BBC in which he said he would 'love a reconciliation' with the King before callously speculating on just how long the poor chap has left to live.
Charles, for his part, must realise he cannot trust his youngest son as far as he can throw him. Hence sending his man into battle with Harry's US and UK reps, Meredith Maines and Liam Maguire.
Thus far, not a word of what was said has leaked.
Huge Prince Harry update as he arranges peace summit with King Charles 'within weeks' – but has no plans to meet William
Still, there's a second book and a TV show for that.
While the King may be open to reconciliation — as Harry himself said, life is both short and precious — the UK may be less so.
Honestly? We don't want him back.
Inflammatory remarks
Tellingly, Prince William 's comms team was nowhere to be seen.
From this, then, can we glean that the Prince and Princess of Wales have longer memories? And may be less able to forgive and forget.
The damage done from Harry's bloodyminded tome, Spare, cannot be undone.
Nor can those inflammatory remarks about racism within the Royal Family, made to Oprah Winfrey in 2021, be unspoken.
Charles will not want his legacy to be one of stripping his son of his royal titles.
That's something Harry's big brother can do, though.
And should do. What a statement of intent that would be.
Harry is a man who has his cake and eats it.
A chap who preaches about poverty from the confines of his £11million Californian mansion, and one who lectures us on climate change, minutes after stepping off a private jet.
At the heart of this, though, is a tragic family feud — something millions of Brits can relate to.
So, of course, I hope Harry and Charles find their peace, and — as they say in America — reconnect.
But that's all this should be.
Professionally, Prince Harry is all out of second chances.
Personally, maybe, just maybe, he deserves one more.
BUERK RIGHT ON AID
FINALLY a bit of common sense.
Veteran broadcaster Michael Buerk has hit back at lefties who label the West's efforts to end the Ethiopian famine as 'white saviour complex'.
The newsreader, whose harrowing reports prompted Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to organise Live Aid in 1985, rightly points out that any help is better than no help.
He said: 'If you're one of the women picking through donkey dung trying to find undigested seeds or one of the children whose eyes were rotting through vitamin deficiency... have you seen somebody dying from starvation? The body eats itself from inside.
'If you're one of those people… you're not really that concerned about whether your saviour is white or black, and I think The Guardian thinks we're being paternalistic. It's rather obscene that people should go around talking about white saviours.
'Any saviour in that context is very welcome indeed.'
Quite.
His pals' staunch defence – that he is so neurodiverse he cannot wear underpants – really was from the 'I don't sweat' playbook.
AI MAY BE WAY TO GO
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I RETURNED to my junior school last week to give a speech and hand out the cups at prize giving.
Obviously it was terrifying.
Anyway, I whanged on a bit about journalism, what a great and noble career it is, and how, you too, kids, could one day meet Harry Styles if you play your cards right.
I then got home and read reports of those going into AI expecting to earn a starter salary of £2million.
So, kids, I take it all back. Don't bother with journalism.
LIZ SEXY AT 60. . . AND I WANT HER SECRET
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THIS is 60. Love her or loathe her, Elizabeth Hurley is almost single-handedly redefining middle age.
The star, who posed naked on her birthday, looks effortlessly incredible.
Whatever she's having, bar Billy Ray Cyrus, I want it.
MY VET PEEVE
IN a seemingly never-ending cost-of-living crisis, more and more pets are being dumped in shelters as heartbroken owners can no longer afford to look after them.
So why, then, are vets making it even harder?
My friend took her dog to her local vet last week, and the itemised bill afterwards charged for both an 'X-ray' and 'X-ray fees'.
Which, presumably, meant turning the machine on.
More needs to be done to regulate this industry, one which takes advantage of our unwavering love of our animals – and blind faith in the people paid to take care of them.
LOONY LINEN
LINEN shorts co-ords are the look of summer, apparently.
Actresses Rebecca Ferguson and Ambika Mod both turned up at Wimbledon in theirs.
The former, however, teamed hers with white socks and silver stilettos.
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