When Prince Harry flew into Britain on Monday from California, he came with two aims, but no promises.
One was to reset his relationship with his father, the other – which has received far less attention but is equally significant – to win back the hearts of the British public.
The smile on his face as he left suggests the prodigal prince, for one, believes he has made headway on both.
While there has been a strict omerta over what was discussed, it has been possible to glean some insight into what transpired. And, of course, what it may mean for the future of our Royal Family.
And although Harry’s PR offensive this week has been months in the planning, it was never certain the meeting between father and son would even take place, I have been told.
Harry tends to come to the UK at this time each year for the WellChild Awards, a friend tells me. However, there is little doubt it would have been a PR disaster for him to return to Montecito without securing a fatherly face-to-face.
Notably the prince of petulance has dialled down his anti-Windsor rhetoric. I am also told word got back to Harry, 40, about how poorly his recent remarks to the BBC over his father’s health had gone down at Buckingham Palace.
‘Ironically I think it was a way of reaching out to his father, but in his frustration it was inelegantly said,’ a friend concedes. ‘The message was received and understood.’ As a result it was battle-weary Harry who opened up his diary to the King’s team.
Prince Harry arrives at the WellChild Awards at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London
A time on Wednesday evening was eventually suggested, in between pre-arranged audiences and meetings at Clarence House while the King was back in London for cancer treatment.
Such was the level of secrecy around the meeting that, to minimise leaks, only a handful of people were told it was going ahead.
For many families, Harry’s calculated betrayals – not to mention the weaponisation of race – would be unforgivable.
Indeed, many in royal circles remain adamant that regardless of what transpires, they will never welcome him back. One impeccably placed source goes so far as to tell me that Queen Elizabeth ‘was left deeply hurt and confused by her beloved grandson’s actions’. But the King is a Christian who can compartmentalise his feelings.
And while talk of reconciliation is still a long way off, I am told Wednesday’s meeting has served as an ‘icebreaker’.
What that means for Harry’s relationship with his brother is more complex. Those I speak to are adamant William should not be criticised for cutting Harry loose, having borne the brunt of some of his most vitriolic attacks.
‘It [the subject of Harry] isn’t even something he discusses now,’ says one source. Clearly this puts the King in a delicate position, not least because it is his relationship with his eldest son that has typically been on shakier ground.
But a source who knows them well tells me: ‘The King knows better than to interfere between his sons. He will accept that William knows his own mind on this matter.’
So could we be witnessing one of the greatest comebacks in royal history? And is the idea of one even viable without William’s support?
Insiders tell me it all depends on what Harry’s endgame is. Does he want to build bridges with his family after being exhausted by anger or even remorse, or are his overtures motivated by money? Could he even be seeking a return to a hybrid royal role?
There’s no doubt that Harry wants to be in a position to come back to the UK more, and to bring his children. He’s said as much.
But sources tell me much of the talk about ‘royal returns’ has been ‘wide of the mark’ and few believe he will ever be offered the chance to serve again.
‘His life is in California,’ says a friend. What Harry does fervently hope, though, is that this week’s charm offensive might encourage the British public to see him in a more ‘positive’ light.
His arrival in the UK was, unusually, trumpeted in advance. Harry duly smiled for the cameras, waving balloon swords, as well as (metaphorically) fistfuls of charity cash. Notably, there was no hint of his wife, who still can’t quite resist regular digs at her in-laws.
Yesterday, Harry also made a surprise visit to Ukraine to highlight his work with injured servicemen. He visited the Superhumans Centre, a clinic in Lviv, which treats and rehabilitates wounded military personnel and civilians.
The jury’s still out on whether all this will be enough to rescue him from popularity polls that see him barely hovering above Prince Andrew. But those close to him are convinced it’s a start.
‘What you have seen is a prince doing things he does well, things that he enjoys and that have some real substance to them. Combined with the opportunity to see his father, he’s feeling pretty positive, all in all.’
Only time will tell whether that will ever translate into family harmony.
