Prince Harry and King Charles' much talked about "peace summit" has been thrown into question, as a former royal insider brands the behind the scenes talks a "stitch-up."
Earlier this month, royal watchers were abuzz when two senior members of Harry’s team Meredith Maines, his chief communications officer, and Liam Maguire, who handles UK PR for Harry and Meghan were spotted in an informal meeting with the King’s communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae.
The rendezvous took place at the Royal Over Seas League, an exclusive private members’ club in London.
Though intended to be low-key, the meeting didn’t stay under wraps for long, photographers captured the trio deep in conversation on a sunny terrace overlooking Green Park.
The image, later published by the Mail on Sunday, has sparked a wave of speculation.
Among the sceptics is Dickie Arbiter, the former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, who suggested the meeting may have been orchestrated, calling it a "set-up."
Prince Harry’s camp, however, has firmly denied the suggestion, maintaining the meeting was private and not designed for public consumption.
Whispers swirl about whether a royal reconciliation is truly underway or just a PR manoeuvre, one thing is certain that the path to peace in the House of Windsor remains anything but straightforward.
As reported by Nine Honey, royal commentator Dickie Arbiter didn’t mince words when reacting to the now viral photo of Prince Harry’s aides meeting with a senior Buckingham Palace official.
"Now, how the hell were they photographed from Green Park? Unless somebody knew they were going to be there?" Arbiter questioned, pointing to the conveniently timed snapshot as evidence that the meeting may not have been as private as intended.
The palace is staying true to its long standing communications mantra. "Never complain, never explain."
And according to Arbiter, they’re showing no signs of breaking that golden rule anytime soon.
