A royal historian has claimed that Prince Harry is “very naive” if he believes the Royal Family is ready to welcome him back, as King Charles’s strategy towards the Duke of Sussex is laid bare.
Speaking about the ongoing rift between the Duke of Sussex and the Firm, historian Andrew Lownie suggested that Buckingham Palace has adopted a calculated, hands-off approach toward Harry. Rather than engaging in public tit-for-tat exchanges or extending an olive branch, the royal family's strategy appears to be focused on letting the Duke's own public manoeuvres play out without interference.
The Policy of Letting Harry Hang Himself
According to Mr Lownie, the royal biographer and author of acclaimed books on the Duke of Windsor and the now ex-Prince Andrew, the Duke of Sussex is mistaken if he expects an emotional reconciliation in the near future. “Prince Harry is very naive to think the rest of the Royal Family will bring him to their breast,” he told Times Radio.
Addressing the Firm's broader stance towards the estranged royal, he added bluntly: “The policy with Harry is to basically let him hang himself by giving him enough rope to do so.” The comments highlight the Palace’s deliberate “keep calm and carry on” playbook.
A Wall of Silence
Aside from rare, calculated pushbacks—most famously the late Queen’s “recollections may vary” remark in the wake of the Sussexes' 2021 Oprah interview—senior royals have maintained a wall of silence. Even after Harry and Meghan's return to the UK in August, six years after they crossed the Atlantic, the Firm has refused to engage with the Sussexes' past public broadsides, interviews and memoirs.
Royal insiders have repeatedly pointed to Charles’s focus on his constitutional duties and state responsibilities over family disputes. The monarch and his heir, Prince William, have usually adhered to the late Queen’s “never complain, never explain” mantra, refusing to engage with claims aired in Harry’s tell-all memoir Spare or subsequent media appearances.
No Half-In, Half-Out Role
By mostly keeping a wall of silence, the Palace has effectively left the Sussexes' ventures and public statements to be scrutinised on their own merits. Even when Harry conceded in a 2023 ITV interview with Tom Bradby that he wanted a family truce, admitting, “I want a father, I want a brother, but they’ve shown no willingness to reconcile,” Buckingham Palace declined to publicly respond.
While the Duke remains keen to mend bridges, the institution has made clear that the strict terms of the so-called “Sandringham Summit” still stand, firmly ruling out any “half-in, half-out” working role. For Mr Lownie, that unwavering stance proves that any formal rehabilitation of Harry's royal status remains unlikely.
