Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly due to meet the King before Christmas, according to celebrity reporter Rob Shuter. The veteran entertainment journalist has said that two royal sources have told him the Sussexes have managed to get into the King's busy diary, but that Prince William wants nothing to do with such a reunion.
However, neither the Palace nor a Sussex spokesperson have confirmed whether a meeting will go ahead.
Return to the UK
It comes after Harry and Meghan's shock return to the UK more than a month ago, which had many people questioning what their relationship with the King and the wider Royal Family would look like going forward.
While the pair will indeed remain private citizens and non-working royals, some reports suggest that the King is eager to have some sort of relationship with Harry and Meghan, as well as with his grandkids, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Sources speak out
Shuter's sources now say that the King has scheduled a meeting with the couple for the first time since their move back to the UK.
"It's going to happen before Christmas," he said in a recent episode of his YouTube show Naughty but Nice. "Two royal sources tell me it's another sign that the Sussexes' relationship with the King is slowly moving forward."
He continued: "But this is what's so interesting about this family. It's not a casual drop by for a tea. They've been back there now for about a month, and they still have not met face-to-face with the King. They have spoken. He spoke to his dad since he arrived. His dad called him and wished him well returning to the UK, but they haven't had a face-to-face meeting."
He later pointed out why this is significant, because one doesn't "accidentally" end up in the King's diary.
"He wants to see his grandkids," he said of the King. "So they will see each other. I don't know where this meeting is or when it's going to be, but I'm told it is before Christmas."
Prince William's stance
But when it comes to Prince William, the relationship between him and his younger brother is virtually "nonexistent", Shuter's sources say.
"My sources tell me that Harry and Harry's people have reached out to the Walses, to William and Catherine, and they have not got anything on the schedule," he said. "I don't think they have even heard anything back yet."
Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship has been frosty for years, with the brothers having not actually spoken in years.
In the latest blow to Harry, Prince William is reportedly "furious" over the younger brother's plans to produce a documentary about their late mum, Princess Diana. It is understood that William was approached about similar projects but turned them all down.
