Prince Harry's potential reconciliation with King Charles has "flies in the ointment" which could mean the relationship is "never healed", it has been claimed.
Speaking to GB News, former royal correspondent at The Sun, Charles Rae, predicted that Meghan Markle would be a main factor in whether the Duke and his father will make peace.
Representatives from King Charles and Prince Harry's camps have held their first formal discussions in years, meeting at a London private members' club in what sources have described as initial "peace talks".
The Duke of Sussex's new chief communications officer Meredith Maines, alongside Sussex UK public relations operator Liam Maguire, met with Tobyn Andreae, the King's communications secretary.
Charles Rae has highlighted the 'fly in the ointment' for Prince Harry amid crunch talks with King Charles
PA / GB News
Delivering his verdict on the meeting, Rae told GB News: "Let's not get the flags and the bunting out just yet, we have a long, long way to go.
"This was just a preliminary drink between Tobyn Andreae and more importantly Harry and Meghan's chief communications person Meredith Maynes. Also, there was Liam Maguire who is the Sussexes heads of PR in the UK. It's a step in what you might call the right direction."
However, Rae pointed out some key factors which may prove as obstacles in the "peace talks" being successul.
Rae explained: "There is a couple of huge flies in the ointment here, and one is Meghan.
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Representatives from King Charles and Prince Harry's households have held their first formal discussions in years, meeting at a London private members' club in what sources describe as initial 'peace talks'
Getty"Is she going to agree to anything that smooths the troubled waters that have happened over the last five years? I'm not so sure."
Noting Prince Harry's crumbling relationship with his brother Prince William, Rae told GB News: "You've also then got on the other side, Prince William, King in waiting.
"Of all the people in all this, he is the one who feels, in my view, most hurt by what has happened between him and his brother, and there's only one person that he is blaming, and that is Meghan."
Recalling Harry and Meghan's criticisms of the Royal Family since departing as working royals in 2020, Rae claimed that their actions will be "hard to forget" as they work to reconcile their relationship.
Rae told GB News that Meghan will 'never return' to the UK
GB News
Rae stated: "You've got to also remember that it's only about a week or so ago that we heard from one of the late Queen's cousins, who had let it be known that the Queen was deeply, deeply upset by Harry and Meghan, and particularly Harry, who was rude to her, it is alleged for about ten minutes.
"And also, let us not forget that in all this happening, her dearly beloved husband was at the time dying. These are things you're going to have to really be hard nosed to forget about, particularly the Oprah Winfrey interview as well. You can't pull these back and say it was a joke, boss, we didn't really mean at all."
Delivering his verdict on whether the rift will be healed, Rae concluded: "There's a long, long way to go before we get down to some substantive chats about healing.
"And I'm still of the opinion that this can never be healed, and I still believe that Meghan will never return to this country."