Following Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's well-received visit to Nottingham last week, an opinion piece by Alicia Liberty suggests King Charles faces a deeply personal decision about whether to attempt a reconciliation with the couple, potentially using a summit akin to the Sandringham meeting of 2020 to heal the family rift.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aged 42 and 45 respectively, drew cheering crowds and flashing cameras during their appearance, which Liberty describes as a glimpse of the excitement that once made them two of the Royal Family's biggest assets. The visit came as Prince William and Princess Catherine carried out their own engagements at the Duchy of Cornwall's Nansledan development, though the Sussexes' appearance appeared to overshadow their movements.
A Return to Royal Magic
Liberty writes that the couple's Nottingham appearance was a "masterclass in generating the sort of public excitement the monarchy desperately needs," noting how they slipped back into the rituals of a traditional royal walkabout, including selfies and Meghan clutching bouquets of flowers, despite six years of insisting they wanted a different life away from the institution.
While Liberty has previously criticised what she calls their "faux royal engagements," she questions whether the answer is to keep pushing them away or to acknowledge their undeniable ability to put the Royal Family on the front pages.
A Father's Final Chance
The piece recalls how Queen Elizabeth II summoned her family to Sandringham in January 2020 to establish how Harry and Meghan would step away from royal duties. Liberty wonders whether another summit could achieve the opposite, noting that the late Queen and Prince Philip are no longer present to guide the family, and there is little indication that William and Catherine are eager to rebuild their once-close relationship with the Sussexes.
Liberty argues that Charles, as a father who has already lost precious years with his youngest son, faces the possibility of watching the estrangement become permanent. She does not suggest rolling out the red carpet, acknowledging that trust would need rebuilding and that Harry and Meghan would have to demonstrate a genuine willingness to put duty before personal ambition.
Restoring the Crown's Sparkle
The monarchy has endured an exhausting period of controversy, including reputational damage associated with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, and Liberty suggests Harry and Meghan could bring a different audience, a more modern approach, and international fascination that few other royals can rival. Any return would need clear boundaries, with no special treatment and no blurred lines between commercial interests and royal responsibilities.
Liberty concludes that Charles has an opportunity to show the monarchy can evolve without abandoning its principles, and that reconciliation need not mean surrendering authority. The greatest legacy he could leave, she writes, is not simply a modernised monarchy but a reunited family, and she suggests it may be time for the King to bring his youngest son back to the negotiating table.
