Prince Harry sought advice from trusted former aides in the UK as part of a potential plan to return from self-imposed exile in the United States. This move signaled a desire to spend more time in the UK and repair ties with his father, King Charles III, and was the first step in a larger plan to rebuild his reputation. Insiders close to the Duke of Sussex acknowledged that he had been seeking advice from people from his former life as a working royal, expressing discontent with the direction he had been given by image consultants in the United States.
This calculated change in tactics revealed that Harry was reconsidering his strategy, separating himself from Hollywood publicists and seeking the advice of long-time friends and acquaintances. According to a source, Harry realized he needed to make a change after realizing his present strategies weren't working.
Sources made it clear that neither Harry nor Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, were pursuing a long-term return to royal responsibilities in spite of these overtures. The couple, who had moved to California with their two kids four years prior, were allegedly looking at methods to mend their tense relationship with the British people and the royal family short of taking on full-time royal duties again.
Relatedly, it was disclosed that the Sussexes had split up with yet another PR consultant from the United States. Head of communications Christine Weil Schirmer, who had joined the couple in 2020, secretly resigned from her role towards the end of the previous year. Within three years, she was the eleventh employee to quit the couple's company. Schirmer started a new position at PR behemoth Brunswick last month, where she now provides customers with reputation management advice. Complicating their public relations efforts further was the sudden resignation of Josh Kettler, the couple's chief of staff, after just three months on the job.
Harry is said to have contacted previous confidants around this time to ask for guidance on readjusting to British culture. Harry's slow return to the UK was previously planned, with the help of a reliable advisor from his background. Part of the plan involved Harry maybe doing minor royal tasks. Harry used modest, low-key events as part of his effort to repair his reputation and win back the public's trust. But getting the go-ahead from certain family members for such a return was still up in the air.
Reconciliation was not seen to be a feasible aim as insiders suggested that the ongoing breach between Harry and his brother, Prince William, was irreversible. However, it was recently reported that King Charles III would be willing to patch things up with Harry. There had been hints of a possible thaw in the father-son relationship when it was reported that the King had asked religious leaders for advice on forgiving principles.
Harry also sent amicable messages via WhatsApp to old acquaintances he had in the UK as part of his attempts to make contact with his past life. These friends expressed a willingness to support his reintegration into British circles, informally referring to their mission as "Operation Bring Harry In From The Cold." Edward Lane Fox, Harry's former private secretary, was said to be a key player in planning the Duke's comeback. Fox was seen by friends as a reliable person who could guide Harry through the difficulties of taking on a more significant position in the UK.
Those close to Prince William noticed a change in his manner recently, despite the fact that their relationship remained tense. His family was relieved to see that he was no longer so resentful. Harry made a big decision when he decided not to update his contentious memoir, Spare, for its October 24 paperback publication. In addition, he made the decision to decline interviews in order to promote the book, which was seen as an effort to ease public unrest.
Harry's representatives did not comment on these developments, leaving the future of his relationship with the royal family uncertain. However, the Duke's recent actions indicated a desire to chart a new course, one that could potentially lead to a more harmonious relationship with the British public and the royal family, albeit on a limited basis.