The Prince and Princess of Wales’s lack of representation in the peace talks between the Royal Family and Prince Harry was "no coincidence," a friend of the couple has suggested.
Prince William and Princess Kate are said to be treating any form of rapprochement with the Sussexes with "extreme caution".
On Sunday, King Charles’s communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae, sat down with Meredith Maines, Harry and Meghan's chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, their British public relations chief.
The summit was held at Royal Over-Seas League, a short distance from the King’s London residence of Clarence House.
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|Representatives of the Prince and Princess of Wales were notably missing from peace talks with Prince Harry on Sunday
Notably missing from the sit-down was anyone from William and Kate’s team, who are thought to have been asked not to attend.
A friend of the couple suggested this development should come as no surprise to royal watchers.
"It's no coincidence that William and Catherine did not have a representative at the Royal Over-Seas League," they revealed.
The insider explained: "They were not asked to send anyone and will be treating the talks with extreme caution.
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|The Waleses lack of presence at the meeting was described as 'no coincidence' by a friend of the couple
"The fact that it ended up in the newspapers tells you all you need to know," the friend told The Mail.
William and Kate's relationship with Harry and Meghan has gradually deteriorated since the Sussexes stepped down as working royals in 2020.
The Prince and Princess of Wales are believed to have been hurt by Harry and Meghan’s public criticisms of the Royal Family over the years, including several high-profile interviews and Harry's explosive 2023 memoir, Spare.
William is said to be particularly furious at the claims made by his brother about Kate, including the suggestions she was "unwelcoming" to Meghan.
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|William and Kate are said to be still wounded by Harry's public criticism of the Royal Family
Another particularly bruising moment was the accusation, without evidence, of racism by an unnamed member of the Royal Family in the infamous Oprah interview with Harry and Meghan.
At the time, an emotional William stressed with reporters: "We're very much not a racist family."
Royal expert Hugo Vickers explained that the Prince of Wales is "likely to be more of an unforgiving person than his father" due to the nature of Harry's past criticisms.
He stressed that the "barbs were sent in his direction from Prince Harry, but very much directed towards Catherine".
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|Royal experts believes Harry will need to work hard to win back the trust of his brother
Vickers slammed these moves as "very insulting" while speaking with The Sun.
To that end, the expert believed Harry would be better served getting onto "good terms with your father as soon as possible".
In such cases, he argued there was "always a hope for reconciliation".
"Step two, try to get on good terms with your brother," Vickers advised.