Prince Harry and Meghan Markle won’t be enduring the dreary Scottish weather at Sandringham or wading through lochs this summer. Sources revealed to Page Six that King Charles and Queen Camilla have not extended an invitation to the couple and their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, for a family vacation at the monarch’s Highlands estate.
As Harry’s 40th birthday approaches on September 15, the possibility of a family reunion appears slim. Multiple sources suggest that the only path to reconciliation with his father lies in King Charles granting Harry the security clearance he desperately seeks. “King Charles, as the monarch, is the ultimate decision-maker. Providing Harry with the desired security clearance could pave the way for father and son to reconcile,” said one royal insider.
Harry has consistently stated that he will not bring his wife and children to the UK without official police security. After stepping down as working royals and relocating to America in 2020, Harry and Meghan, 42, lost their taxpayer-funded police protection. In April, Harry’s legal bid to challenge a British government decision preventing him from paying for such protection was unsuccessful, and he is currently appealing the decision.
In the ITV documentary “Tabloids on Trial,” which aired in the UK on Thursday, Harry reiterated his stance, emphasizing the dangers he perceives. “It’s still dangerous, and all it takes is one lone actor to act on what they read. Whether it’s a knife or acid, these are genuine concerns for me. That’s one of the reasons I won’t bring my wife back to this country,” he said. He also cited the royal family’s reluctance to support his legal battle against the press as a central issue in their rift.
Despite maintaining some contact with his father, Harry has not spoken to his brother, Prince William, for over two years. Reports suggesting Harry has been in touch with the future king or sister-in-law Kate Middleton amid her cancer battle are inaccurate, according to sources. William, 42, remains furious over Harry’s claims in his memoir “Spare” that William assaulted him during an argument over Markle. Additionally, William is angered by the book’s allegation that he and Middleton encouraged Harry to wear a Nazi uniform to a 2005 costume party.
Further exacerbating tensions, writer Omid Scobie, who authored the Sussexes’ biography “Finding Freedom,” stirred controversy by alleging that Charles and Kate were the “royal racists” who speculated about the color of Harry and Meghan’s children’s skin. William is reportedly appalled by this claim.
The couple’s explosive 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey, in which Meghan revealed concerns about Archie’s skin color, ignited a royal family firestorm. Given this, some royal watchers labeled Harry a hypocrite for blaming his legal battle with British tabloids for the family rift.
However, a royal insider familiar with Harry insisted that his participation in the documentary was not to blame his family but to highlight his ongoing fight against British tabloids. “Harry’s mission in taking legal action against the press is unique. He acknowledges that his choices have caused strain,” the insider said.
In December 2023, Harry won a lawsuit against Mirror Group Newspapers when a judge ruled that his phone had been hacked by the tabloid “to a modest extent.” He has two ongoing civil cases against the publishers of The Mail and The Sun, both of which deny unlawful information-gathering claims.
“I’ve made it very clear that this is something that needs to be done. It would be nice if we did it as a family,” Harry said in the ITV documentary. “I believe that from a service standpoint and in a public role, these are things we should be doing for the greater good. But I’m doing this for my reasons.”
Harry also mentioned his late grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, supported his fight. “We had many conversations before she passed, and this is something she supported. She knew how much this meant to me,” he said. “She is up there going, ‘See this through to the end,’ without question.”
Looking ahead, Harry is focusing on philanthropic initiatives through the Archewell Foundation, including working with parents whose children died by suicide due to social media bullying. Sources told Page Six that his planned Africa documentary for Netflix is on hold. Contrary to reports, Harry will not be receiving a $9 million trust on his 40th birthday, but it seems he may have found his path.
