Harry and Meghan should look for a Royal Family reset following damage done by their 2020 departure, Jennie Bond says, provided the Palace makes a similar effort
Prince Harry should issue an apology following his return to the UK with Meghan Markle, a royal expert has said, but Buckingham Palace should return the favour.
Royal commentator Jennie Bond said an apology from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “would be nice” as they prepare to set up their new lives. They returned to the country after years abroad in California, in the US, last week, where they travelled following a major schism with the rest of the Royal Family in 2020.
Jennie, while welcoming the couple and calling for Brits to “reset” their attitudes towards them, has asked the former working royals to do the same, and made a similar plea to King Charles III.
Speaking on Sky News this morning, she said it “would be nice” for Meghan and Harry to apologise to the rest of the family.
She said: An apology would be nice from Harry and Meghan because they have said and done things that have been deeply hurtful. A recognition, acknowledgement from the Palace that they could have done things better, perhaps.”
Jennie suggested the couple could keep the repairs under-wraps and pave the way for a more “civil” relationship. She added: “That all could be done privately, then surely they could all move forward, and we could move forward and be civil.”
But the royal commentator stopped short of saying the Royal Family should completely repatch their relations with Meghan and Harry.
She said: “The brothers don’t have to be that close any more, they don’t have to be best buddies. But can they not have a civil and courteous relationship?” Sources have claimed that William was left deeply hurt by Harry’s airing of family grievances in interviews and his autobiography Spare, which released in 2023.
Ms Bond previously said that Prince Harry and Meghan could prove a distraction from the royals and their work – and could annoy the King and Prince William.
She told the Mirror last week that the working royals face a “very real prospect” of having their duties overshadowed by the Sussexes after their return. She said: “One of the biggest challenges facing the working royals at the moment is the very real prospect of their work being overshadowed by anything the Sussexes do, at least whilst we all get used to them being back in the UK.
“And that’s a distraction that will annoy the King and — especially— William. I’m afraid it will all be seen as something of a competition in the next few months, particularly as Harry tries to get more publicity for his Invictus Games.
“And, until the novelty of having him and the family back in the UK wears off, it’s a competition that Harry will probably win.
“And that will mean less news coverage for the work his family are doing on behalf of the country and for the charities and campaigns they spend their lives supporting.” Harry and Meghan landed in Birmingham, with a private jet reportedly belonging to the couple having been spotted at the city’s major airport, on Wednesday.
They and the other royals have remained tight-lipped on the arrival, with no official statements yet released by either camp.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login