King Charles seeks to avoid another 'Edward VIII' mistake, royal expert claims

Edward VIII was once king of the United Kingdom but abdicated the throne to marry Wallis Simpson in 1936.

In turn, he was given the title of Duke of Windsor, yet his relationship with the royal family remained fraught, and he was kept out of the country for decades.

King Charles has been aware of this situation in the past, and royal historian Andrew Lownie claims the monarch did not want to repeat the example with his son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Meghan Markle.

That is why he is open to reconciling with the Sussexes. Hosting them at Highgrove last July was a key step in mending ties.

This meeting was also significant because it was the first time Charles met his grandchildren in person in four years.

Therefore, according to the royal expert, the king is keen to avoid the mistake with Harry that the royal family made with Edward.

However, there is a fine line to walk here.

Lownie, while describing it as a "difficult" position, explained that if Charles adopted too conciliatory a tone toward Harry and Meghan, he could be seen as giving in to the Sussexes.

Amid such concerns, the royal expert said the monarch is currently, in his view, keeping a "dignified distance" and observing how the situation develops.