I finally got a chance to read this Times of London piece about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s upcoming UK visit: “Will the King finally be photographed with Harry’s children? For the Sussexes, who plan to visit Britain this summer, a picture of Charles with Archie and Lilibet would be the ‘money shot’.” It’s more of an in-depth summary of where things stand around the visit, and I have to say, Buckingham Palace has clearly briefed the press about the visit in recent days. Throughout the week, the palace had made sure to underline one particular detail: that King Charles has offered royal accommodation to the Sussexes but they haven’t accepted (yet). But it’s interesting that the palace is so openly discussing all of it with the rota, right? And they’re certainly trying to dictate the talking points too. This piece actually reminded me of a forgotten story – last year, the palace briefed the Sun about a gift Prince Harry gave to Charles when they met for tea, and Harry was absolutely livid about it. What will Harry make of his father’s courtiers doing a running commentary about this July visit? Anyway, let’s go through the palace’s talking points:
A potential photo of Archie & Lili with Charles: For the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, it would be the ultimate money shot. The next twist in the saga that has launched them onto streaming platforms in the US, where their currency remains forever linked to their royal titles. Even in a world of royal “what ifs”, there are those familiar with both camps who fear no such picture could ever be taken for several reasons.
Is Harry actually bringing the kids over or is it all about security? First, some question whether Harry truly intends to bring his children at all or whether it’s a form of “emotional blackmail” over his continuing security row with the UK government. Harry has said that without police protection, he cannot in good conscience bring his children to the UK. Last year he was granted a risk management board to review his security status. Now, the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), the body that meets to advise on the security provision for royals and VIPs, is set to advise an independent chair about whether Harry should be entitled to 24/7 armed police escorts. Could this well-publicised intention to bring his children come from Harry’s frustration to get a result? If so, he’s waited long enough.
The “money shot” photo: Second, even if Harry did bring his children, is it possible that courtiers would leave Charles exposed to a photo opportunity with them? Or will Meghan and Harry be asked to hand over any devices on the way in? Queen Elizabeth reportedly denied a request from Harry and Meghan to bring a photographer to a meeting with their children when the Sussexes came from America for the Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022. If any family snaps exist with Elizabeth, they have yet to be published.
The palace doesn’t want to get caught briefing the press! Four years on, every visit by the duke appears to elicit much consternation from the Palace, who are at pains not to be seen to be briefing the press. When Harry came to the UK alone last year, Charles granted his younger son a 50-minute meeting at Clarence House over tea and cake. Harry was apparently thrilled with the summit and went off with a huge smile on his face. When reports emerged shortly afterwards that the meeting had paved the way for a deeper reconciliation, one insider told the press: “Whoever is behind [the stories] seems to have mistaken a brief tea and a slice of cake for the Treaty of Versailles.” Palace aides were then baffled and bemused when Camp Sussex appeared to be outraged that the so-called men in grey suits had leaked details of a family photograph that Harry had gifted the King during the visit.
An admission that the palace has been briefing: Wise heads on the Palace side are tremendously cautious not to rock the boat where Harry is concerned. It would seem to be the right course of action, given that the drama over the plans for Harry’s trip has begun long before he has arrived. Last week Buckingham Palace was compelled to confirm that the King had offered Harry and his family accommodation for their visit this summer, presumably to get ahead of any potential “mean King” stories emerging.
The Sussexes aren’t confirming anything to the palace: At this stage, however, the King is unclear whether Harry intends to accept the offer of free digs at a royal B&B. In this case, there are mitigating circumstances in Harry’s defence; the Sussexes are still finalising their programme in the UK, so details such as accommodation have yet to be ironed out.
Prince William will scatter into the wind: Whether [the Sussexes stay] in London, Windsor or Sandringham, William is likely to make himself scarce. Surely he’ll be hoping that England will call for an extra cheerleader in the football World Cup in the US, requiring him to put the Atlantic safely back in the middle between the warring brothers….Five years after the [Oprah] interview, the Waleses appear to have moved on to a more serene plateau. William has adopted a dignified silence, planting a flag in the moral high ground. After all, since the Sussexes’ criticism, he has had to navigate his wife’s “brutal” cancer battle, which he described as “probably the hardest year in my life”. There’s little to be gained from re-entering the boxing ring with Harry.
Camilla will scatter into the wind: As for Camilla, she’s staying well clear. She is unlikely to get involved in a discussion with Harry and Meghan. Who can blame her? In the promotion for his autobiography, Harry said that she was “dangerous” and described her as “a villain”. She’s most likely to want to protect the King from any inopportune meetings while staying out of the way as much as possible at Ray Mill House, her home in Gloucestershire.
Meghan doesn’t want to be photographed with Charles? Would Meghan even want to come and meet the King with Harry and their children? Would she allow Harry to bring them alone? Even if she pulled off the PR coup of the decade and managed to get her children a photo op with the King, she is surely unlikely to be in the picture herself.
The preview of Thomas Markle’s reemergence: Outside the royal circle, of course, there’s another grandfather who has never met his grandchildren: Thomas Markle, Meghan’s father, who has never even met his royal son-in-law. After his leg was amputated in the Philippines in December 2025, he told The Mail on Sunday: “I don’t want to die estranged from Meghan. I want to meet my grandkids.” That is now looking unlikely.
We saw several of these talking points in Jennie Bond’s piece as well, including the Thomas Markle preview. I can only assume that they’ll drag him out closer to the Sussexes’ visit, probably two weekends from now. This piece made it even clearer that the palace is trying hard to dictate the narrative around this visit, and that the palace is a leaky sieve. Not just Buckingham Palace either – it’s also clear that the rota is getting contradictory talking points from Kensington Palace too. That’s what happened last year around Harry’s visit, and William’s subsequent nervous breakdown. Everything will be heightened around this trip though, because of Meghan and the kids. There will be plentiful shenanigans afoot, and everyone needs to stay aware.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
