In April, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were kicked out of Frogmore Cottage by order of King Charles.
The couple’s apartments on the Windsor estate served as their home base during their visits to the United Kingdom, and Charles’ decision to evict the Sussexes was seen by many as an unnecessary act of aggression.
The king’s defenders say he was simply cutting costs, while supporters of the Sussexes insist it was a punitive measure driven by Charles’s outrage over claims made in Harry’s memoirs .
Regardless, the move appears to have had the effect of deepening the rift between the warring factions of the royal family, at least temporarily.
Earlier this month, Harry and Meghan called Charles for his birthdayand royal insiders say the king happily accepted this long-distance olive branch.
Apparently, the monarch chatted with her youngest son, daughter-in-law and two American grandchildren for several minutes before reluctantly hanging up to mingle with her guests in person.
This was a surprising turn of events, as just months before, Harry had poignantly suggested to his father that expulsion could lead to a permanent separation.
The source of this information is a controversial new book by journalist Omid Scobie, a long-time ally of the Sussexes.
According to Scobie, when Charles kicked the Sussexes out of Frogmore, Harry indicated that the decision could have lasting consequences.
“Don’t you want to see your grandchildren?” Harry would have asked Charles.
This question can be interpreted in several ways, and as Scobie is a long-time supporter of Sussex, he probably intended to tell this anecdote to bolster the Duke’s image by demonstrating his ability and willingness to stand up to his domineering father.
But not everyone took it that way.
Critics insist Harry was threatening Charles and trying to use his own children as bargaining chips.
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The narrative appears to have backfired, as many praised Charles for his refusal to back down in the face of Harry’s “harassment.”
The much more likely explanation for this exchange is that Harry was simply pointing out to his father that it would be more difficult for him to visit him with the whole family if the king took steps that would force him to find his own accommodation.
And that is indeed the case.
For security reasons, Harry traveled alone on his last three visits to London, and the Sussexes will not I will be traveling to the UK for Christmas next month.
The birthday phone call may have been a step in the right direction, but it’s clear that this family has a long way to go before they can enjoy a peaceful vacation together.
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