Prince William and Princess Kate's aides were not invited to the Sussex peace summit with the Palace, according to new claims.
Prince Harry is understood to have authorised peace talks between his representatives and King Charles's communications team in an attempt to resolve their long-standing family dispute.
A source revealed: "The meeting was with Harry's blessing." The talks represented a significant development after 18 months of estrangement between father and son.
Buckingham Palace backed the initiative to "open a channel of communication", with approval coming within the past fortnight.
Prince William and Princess Kate's aides 'not invited' to Sussex peace summit with Palace.
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The development suggested both sides may be ready to move beyond the bitter divisions that have characterised their relationship since Harry's departure from royal duties in 2020.
The meeting notably excluded Prince William's team, with no contact made between Harry's representatives and those working for the Prince and Princess of Wales. There was no invitation extended for face-to-face discussions with William and Kate's staff, according to reports in the Sun.
The development came after previous reconciliation attempts failed spectacularly. When Harry flew to Britain following his father's cancer diagnosis 18 months ago, he was granted just 30 minutes with the King before being excluded from joining him at Sandringham.
Sources within the Palace are reportedly experiencing "weary disappointment" over the emergence of photographs showing the meeting and the subsequent leaking of details. Those close to the Sussexes have expressed frustration about the information becoming public, whilst denying responsibility for the leak.
Meredith Maines has been hired as the Sussexes' new head of communications.LinkedIn / Meredith MainesThe summit took place at the Royal Over-Seas League, an exclusive members' club near Buckingham Palace. Photographs captured the King and Queen's director of communications, Tobyn Andreae, meeting with Meredith Maines, chief communications officer for Harry's charity Archewell, alongside its UK and Europe communications manager, Liam Maguire.
The trio initially convened on the club's balcony before moving inside for further discussions. The face-to-face meeting centred on practical matters rather than any grand reconciliation plans.
The agenda focused specifically on avoiding media clashes and preventing conflicts over calendar dates. Crucially, discussions did not include any proposals for Prince Harry to return to a formal royal role.
This limited scope suggested both sides are taking a cautious approach to rebuilding communication channels after years of public acrimony.
Tobyn Andreae and King Charles pictured in November 2024.GettyLATEST ROYAL NEWS:
Neither Buckingham Palace nor Andreae have commented on the leak.PAThe estrangement between Harry and his father has persisted for 18 months, with their last meeting occurring shortly after Charles's cancer diagnosis.
Relations deteriorated further in May when Harry told the BBC: "I don't know how much longer my father has, he won't speak to me because of this security stuff, but it would be nice to reconcile."
During the same interview, Harry suggested: "Some members of my family will never forgive me" for his memoir Spare. He added: "There is no point in continuing to fight any more, life is precious."
Harry is scheduled to visit Britain in September for WellChild events, potentially coinciding with the King's stay at Balmoral before hosting US President Donald Trump.