Prince William unlikely to reconcile with Prince Harry soon: expert
Dan Wakeford, founder of Celebrity Intelligence, discusses Prince Harry's expected UK return, his relationship with King Charles, and why a meeting with Prince William remains unlikely.
Queen Camilla is said to support King Charles III's hopes of repairing his fractured relationship with Prince Harry, but she has no intention of getting personally involved.
The claim was made by several royal experts who spoke to Fox News Digital. Harry is expected to travel to the U.K. on July 7 for events marking the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, a milestone closely tied to his signature charitable initiative.
The BBC reported that Meghan Markle and the couple's two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, will not accompany him to London after it was confirmed the family would not receive taxpayer-funded police protection.
KING CHARLES ‘CAUTIOUS AND WARY’ OF PRINCE HARRY’S LATEST ATTEMPT TO MEND ROYAL RIFT: EXPERT
Prince Harry and his family are expected to visit the U.K. from July 7–11 for events marking the one-year countdown to the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, fueling speculation about a possible father-son reunion. (Isabel Infantes/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the outlet, Meghan, Archie and Lilibet could still join Harry later in the week. It remains unclear whether the revised schedule will allow the king to meet his grandchildren, whom he has not seen in person for four years.
Royal experts told Fox News Digital that while Camilla wants the king, who continues to undergo cancer treatment, to have the opportunity to spend time with his young grandchildren, she remains cautious. They said that despite any desire for reconciliation, trust within the House of Windsor has yet to be fully restored.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla leave after attending the Easter Matins Service at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle, in Windsor, England, on April 20, 2025. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
"Personally, I feel Camilla has been supporting Charles in his ambition to reunite with Harry, [but] Camilla regularly protects Charles' interests," royal broadcaster Ian Pelham Turner told Fox News Digital.
"Camilla is a believer in duty. She cares for the king and knows the rift has caused him worry," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams also told Fox News Digital.
WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAM UNLIKELY TO RECONCILE WITH PRINCE HARRY SOON: EXPERT
"While Camilla has been a force for stability and is unlikely to block Charles if he really wants to meet with Harry, she'll be keeping her distance," British royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital.
"She prefers to avoid complicating matters. She and the king are in lockstep, preferring calm over any confrontation. If the king does meet with Harry, given the high level of trust issues, it's likely to be just them rather than any extended family."
King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave to crowds from the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping The Colour in London on June 13, 2026. (Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP)
Their statements came after reports from the Daily Express previously claimed that Camilla is "steering well clear" of the couple during the visit and is "not going to be around when they arrive."
Queen Camilla visits the Chaos and Control exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy of Art and Architecture in Edinburgh during the bicentenary celebrations on June 30, 2026. (Steve Welsh/WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
Katie Nicholl, Vanity Fair royal correspondent and co-host of "The Royals Uncensored," told Fox News Digital that Camilla is known for carving out time to spend with her own children and grandchildren.
Queen Camilla and her sister attend the Wimbledon Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London on July 10, 2024. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)
"The queen is a very family-oriented woman, and there are many weekends when she doesn't spend the weekend at Highgrove with the king," Nicholl explained. "She goes back to Ray Mill, her family home, and spends time with her children and grandchildren."
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King Charles III inspects the guard of honor during the Ceremony of the Keys in the Gardens of the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland, on June 30, 2026. (Aaron Chown/AFP)
"Family has been and always has been hugely important to Camilla," Nicholl said. "I know that she has very much encouraged the king to sometimes put his pen down and, instead of working, go and spend some time with his grandchildren and has encouraged him to be more family-focused. And I think if Camilla has been behind the scenes trying to encourage this reconciliation, that shows enormous strength of character on her part."
In 2023, after Harry's memoir "Spare" was published, the prince accused his stepmother of leaking private conversations to the media to burnish her reputation.
Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive to meet volunteer first responders from Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club during their visit to Sydney, Australia, on April 17, 2026. (Jonathan Brady-Pool/Getty Images)
In interviews, he accused family members of getting "into bed with the devil" to gain favorable tabloid coverage. He singled out Camilla's efforts to rehabilitate her image with the British public after her long-running relationship with his father.
Copies of Prince Harry's memoir "Spare" are displayed at Daunt Books on Marylebone High Street in London on Jan. 10, 2023. (Getty Images)
Camilla, who was once shunned by the public, eventually won over many royal watchers through her charitable work and support of the king. Charles was crowned in 2023.
Nicholl said Harry's book and subsequent interviews "infuriated" his older brother, Prince William, and greatly upset the king.
Meghan Markle, an American actress, became the Duchess of Sussex when she married Britain's Prince Harry in 2018. (Aaron Chown/PA Images)
"Camilla has stepped in as queen and is doing a very good job as a loyal consort," Nicholl said. "So, if Camilla has been quietly behind the scenes trying to help broker the peace between [father and son], then I think she shoots up in everyone's estimation, really, given what Harry has said about her."
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A person watches the Duke of Sussex being interviewed by ITV's Tom Bradby during "Harry: The Interview" at home in Edinburgh on Jan. 8, 2023, two days before the release of his autobiography "Spare." (Getty Images)
In 2025, after losing a court battle over his publicly funded security, Harry told the BBC that he wants to reconcile with his family.
"I would love reconciliation with my family," he told the outlet. "There's no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don't know how much longer my father has."
In 2025, Prince Harry told the BBC he's ready to reconcile with his family. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard said Camilla would back a private meeting between Charles and Harry.
Queen Camilla kisses Catherine, Princess of Wales, during a formal welcome at the Royal Dais in Windsor, England, on March 18, 2026. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
"Queen Camilla has more than proved herself as a valued, hardworking senior royal," Chard said. "She stepped up, doing her best for the king and country. Despite not trusting the Sussexes, she is adamant she wants the best for her husband. However, she doesn't suffer fools. [Still], she will support a father-son meeting away from prying eyes."
"Camilla will be nowhere to be seen," Chard said. "Most likely, she will be at her beloved Ray Mill house in Wiltshire."
Queen Camilla has successfully revamped her reputation after being a supportive force for her husband, King Charles III. (Lesley Martin/Getty Images)
People magazine previously reported that the king offered the Sussexes accommodation on a royal estate during their visit. There has been no public response to the reported offer.
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Prince Harry is expected to return to the U.K. in July with his family. However, royal watchers say a reconciliation with his estranged brother, Prince William, remains unlikely. (Emilio Morenatti - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The outlet also reported that the monarch previously offered Harry accommodations at Buckingham Palace, which he declined. An Archewell spokesperson told Fox News Digital that, for security reasons, the organization would not comment on the couple's accommodations.
Fitzwilliams said that while the king may be eager to spend time with his grandchildren, the high-profile visit remains a complicated matter.
Prince Harry and King Charles III walk behind the coffin during the procession for the lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II on Sept. 14, 2022, in London. The Duke of Sussex and the monarch last reunited in September 2025. (Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images)
"The king clearly wants to see his grandchildren," he said. "[But] the royal family's distrust of the Sussexes remains acute. There are no circumstances under which Prince William appears prepared to see his brother."
Prince Harry attends The Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary Service, his passion project, at St. Paul's Cathedral on May 8, 2024, in London. The younger son of King Charles III stepped back as a senior royal in 2020. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
"There is also sensitivity over the cost of taxpayer-funded security, which the Sussexes forfeited when they stepped down as senior working royals. Harry has campaigned for years to regain security for himself and his family. It is extraordinary that RAVEC, the committee responsible, is taking so long to decide."
"Harry attacked Camilla in his memoir, and it was that which reportedly led to the Sussexes being evicted from Frogmore Cottage, their U.K. home," he argued. "I doubt Camilla is inclined to be lenient. [But], if the king and the Sussexes do meet, it could mark the beginning of reconciliation rather than an immediate reset."