Prince Harry's relationship with father King Charles leaves much to be desired as things are, but one royal expert believes there's a potential way out of their standstill.
Commenting on the possibility of a rapprochement on the Duke of Sussex' imminent visit to his home country, Hugo Vickers told The Sun, "Well, he does seem to be coming quite often, doesn't he? Which in some ways is a good sign, I think."
He explained, "If he keeps coming, at least there is a chance at some stage he'll meet up with his father, and you know, maybe this can be a step towards some sort of reconciliation.
"I think there's quite a long way to go, but it's nice that he feels he can come here anyway."
Prince Harry will visit the U.K. in late September.
Harry recently confirmed that he'll be in England to attend the WellChild Awards on Sept. 30, an announcement which of course led to widespread speculation as to the likelihood of him catching his father or brother Prince William while he's in the country.
"If the King wishes to see him, he will arrange to see him," Vickers said. "If he doesn't wish to see him, he'll be too busy. Simple as that."
The expert's analysis checks out with what happened last time Harry visited the U.K., in May. Back then, Charles blamed his inability to meet with his California-based son on his "full program," which many commentators interpreted as a "snub."
Still, one sign that there could be space for a reconciliation is that both the King and the Prince of Wales shared birthday wishes for Harry earlier this month—though Vickers admits Charles' was a "fairly formal" message.
Because Charles never comments publicly on his rift with his younger son, "the King certainly leaves the door open for him," Vickers said.
However, in terms of whether Harry might be able to see his older brother this time around, we shouldn't hold our breath, according to the expert.
"I think it's much more likely that he'll have a meeting with the King," Vickers said.
"I don't think there's any particular wish on Prince William's behalf to see his brother. I mean they were both at [their uncle] Lord Fellowes' funeral, or memorial service, in Norfolk recently.
"They didn't actually speak so no, I don't think there will be any particular wish for them to get together."
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Prince William and Prince Harry's relationship is still incredibly strained.
