King Charles’ secret summit with William over Harry – this meeting could change everything

The King and his heir finally go head-to-head over the one question they can’t agree on: Should Harry be allowed to return?

Prince William and King Charles may have managed to keep their reported differences behind palace walls for now, but with Prince Harry’s next UK visit looming, the King and his heir may need to find a compromise – and fast.

For months, reports of a growing power struggle between the pair have suggested that Charles’ determination to make his own decisions and reconcile with Harry is increasingly at odds with the reports that William wants nothing to do with the Sussexes and views them as a threat to the monarchy.

And Harry and Meghan Markle’s secret meeting with King Charles and Queen Camilla last month appeared to make the growing divide between them so apparent that a source recently told us how even Princess Kate fears the public may soon find out just how much their relationship appears to have deteriorated.

Now a source tells Closer how the father-and-son are being ordered to sit down and work out a compromise before the situation spirals out of control, as we’re told how Charles, 77, has finally agreed to meet William, 44, for a secret summit before Harry’s next trip, which threatens to tip the whole family over the edge.

An insider says, ‘It’s making life uncomfortable for everyone at the Palace; their advisors are still communicating, but William and the King are barely acknowledging each other, even when they’re in the same meeting.

‘The situation has become absolutely ludicrous, it’s causing chaos and fact is, it reflects badly on everybody. A lot of people are saying William is playing straight into Harry and Meghan’s hands by alienating his father this way.

‘But anyone that tries to broach this topic with him is ignored or reprimanded. People have been avoiding it for months but His Majesty has finally agreed that it’s time they sit down and face this before it gets any worse.’

Claims of hostility between the King and his heir come two years after Charles’ cancer diagnosis thrust the future of the monarchy into the spotlight, with questions inevitably raised about when William might take the throne and whether his father could eventually be forced to step back to focus on his health.

During the King’s treatment, William took on a greater share of responsibility and appeared to step confidently into the role of heir, offering a glimpse of the more streamlined monarchy he could one day create. But now, with Charles having revealed that his treatment has been reduced and showing every sign of wanting to continue as King for many years, the balance of power appears to have shifted once again.

And while William will undoubtedly be delighted to see his father in better health, he was perhaps not expecting the King to assert his authority in such a way that he must surely have been

William is reported not to have spoken to Harry in four years, so the decision by Charles to roll out the red carpet for Meghan and Harry to waltz back into the heart of the royal fold has been seen as an upmost betrayal by some royal observers.

Now the source says the pair are facing a crucial test of their relationship, with Harry’s return to Britain – expected to be ‘before the end of the year’ – potentially forcing them to finally thrash out their differences.

The source explains, ‘Time is of the essence because Harry’s upcoming trip could tip things over the edge. It’s no secret that William is already furious that his father is ignoring his objections. If he doesn’t get a chance to air his grievances and say why he thinks it’s a dreadful idea, he may very well do something drastic

‘William is convinced the Sussexes are plotting a permanent path back to Britain and are using Charles to regain as many privileges as possible while quietly building alliances with people like the Spencers and the York sisters behind his back.

‘From his perspective, it’s deeply disrespectful to him and Catherine, particularly when he feels they’ve never received a proper apology, and he sees it as incredibly dangerous for the monarchy as a whole.’

Now the source says the pair are facing a crucial test of their relationship, with Harry’s return to Britain – expected to be ‘before the end of the year’ – potentially forcing them to finally thrash out their differences.

The source explains, ‘Time is of the essence because Harry’s upcoming trip could tip things over the edge. It’s no secret that William is already furious that his father is ignoring his objections. If he doesn’t get a chance to air his grievances and say why he thinks it’s a dreadful idea, he may very well do something drastic.

‘William is convinced the Sussexes are plotting a permanent path back to Britain and are using Charles to regain as many privileges as possible while quietly building alliances with people like the Spencers and the York sisters behind his back.

‘From his perspective, it’s deeply disrespectful to him and Catherine, particularly when he feels they’ve never received a proper apology, and he sees it as incredibly dangerous for the monarchy as a whole.’

While speculative for now, this threat may come to fruition over the coming months following reports that Harry hopes to become a working member of the Royal Family again – in some capacity.

Wanting to both have, and eat, his cake, it’s claimed that Harry wishes to remain living in Montecito but to carry out philanthropic work and visits in the name of the Royal Family – for which, of course, he could be paid for via the taxpayer-funded sovereign grant.

This so-called ‘half in, half out’ bid had reportedly been rejected by the late Queen Elizabeth II back in 2020 when Harry and Meghan first stepped down as senior working royals, but now the source warns the tables could be turning – and not in William’s favour.

The insider says, ‘He could hand them all sorts of perks and total freedom to operate as they see fit; he could even give in and allow them to be working royals based in America. He’s the King of England so ultimately, he can do what he wants, and William should know that.’

However, given that William – who was last week seen putting on a united front with Kate and their children when the family attended the Commonwealth Games – has reportedly already threatened to ‘boycott’ family events at the Sandringham estate for the foreseeable future if this whole Sussex saga continues, we’re told it’s ‘unlikely’ he’ll bow down to any demands he sees as unjust.

‘Whether he’s actually willing to accept that reality is another story altogether and truth be told most people think it’s unlikely,’ the source says.

‘He’s cut from much the same cloth as his father. If he feels he’s been wronged, he becomes very righteous and he rarely gives in. It’s not hard to imagine him being willing to go head-to-head with his father over this for a lot longer, no matter what the consequences are.’