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Prince Harry's July trip to the UK saw him, Meghan Markle, and their children, Princess Archie and Princess Lilibet, reunite with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove House. The highly discreet meeting on July 10 raised hopes that both sides could leave the past behind and focus on a more cordial future. However, royal expert Christopher Andersen claims the Sussexes' hopes of starting a new chapter did not unfold as expected, with security concerns remaining at the heart of the issue.
Speaking to Page Six, Anderson said, "One gets the sense that, from Markle's perspective, the reunion with Charles and Camilla wasn't entirely warm and fuzzy." Weighing in on the claims, a palace source questioned how Andersen would be privy to what was a "private family-only meeting." The outlet mentioned that Markle was still upset over their taxpayer-funded security being denied and Charles's withdrawal of his offer to let them stay at Buckingham Palace, leaving Harry to fend for himself yet again. A source told PEOPLE that the last-minute pushback "turned into a nightmare" for Markle as she was forced to leave earlier than planned with their children.
Against that backdrop, Anderson stressed that "it's fairly clear that Markle feels more secure in [her home] in Montecito, and doesn't want to give the impression that she will be any part of a return to royal life." Despite the hullabaloo over Harry's last-minute staying arrangements, an insider told Vanity Fair that the monarch was very eager to see his US-based grandchildren. They revealed, "A time was agreed for the Sussexes to come to Highgrove on Friday afternoon, and it was uncharacteristically last-minute for the King. Everyone was sworn to secrecy so that the meeting could remain private."
In fact, even before the meeting, Harry, Markle, and the King and Queen mutually agreed on keeping their reunion as under the radar as possible. A source close to the Susexes spilled, "The agreement was made before they [Harry and Markle] met the King that nothing would be shared — no photos, no details. It was a top-secret arrangement, and they pulled it off, and frankly, they are delighted about that."
Ultimately, while Markle was allegedly not too thrilled about how the meetup went down, Harry reportedly holds fond memories of it. His friends told The Times that the Prince was "buoyed, very happy, and really energized" after meeting his father. He was also hoping that this would be the much-needed hard refresh their relationship needed. They added, "Every journey of a thousand miles begins with one footstep. The Duke is also said to be in 'frequent' contact with Charles."
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