Prince Harry is hoping King Charles will publicly ask his subjects to welcome him back to public life, an insider has suggested.
The Duke of Sussex appears to have taken his first major step towards reconciliation when he met with his father during a four-day trip to the UK last week.
Harry and King Charles reunited for “a private tea” at Clarence House on Wednesday, the first time the pair had met in 19 months.
Following their short meeting, lasting just under an hour, the duke declared his father was “great” when questioned by reporters.
Prince Harry is hoping King Charles will publicly support him in rebuilding his relationship with the British public
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Upon his departure from Britain, Harry’s spokesman said that he had “loved being back in the UK”.
His time in the country of his birth also saw the duke pack his schedule with visits to charities and causes close to his heart, announcing two generous charitable donations while there.
The success of Harry’s four-day trip to the UK appears to result from a new approach to public relations.
To aid in his charm offensive, the duke is believed to be hoping for some form of public acknowledgement from his father, the King.
The duke is apparently keen for his father to support him in a similar manner to the late Queen Elizabeth’s endorsement of Camilla
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“Harry would one day like his father to encourage the nation to accept him back again,” a source began.
To that end, he is said to believe the backing of his father could help repair his relationship with the British public.
“It’s what the late Queen did towards the end of her life when she asked the public to accept Camilla as Queen Consort,” the insider told the Daily Mail.
They explained that Harry is acutely aware of how he is perceived by the public.
Harry is believed to be conscious of his public polling, which has suffered in recent years
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“Harry reads his own polls, he knows he’s one of the least popular Royals and wants that to change.
“He wants to get back to being one of the most popular,” they explained.
The duke certainly has some ground to make up. August YouGov royal favourability tracker data showed that only 28 per cent of Britons hold a positive opinion of him.
A significant 62 per cent view him negatively, only a one-point increase over his worst polling performance since early 2023 earlier this year.
Such support for the King may also aid Harry in his feud with Prince William
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Hoping to do more than just curry favour with the British people, Harry is also said to hope an endorsement from the King could aid him in his feud with Prince William.
“If Charles could do something along those lines, Harry would have some hope of not being completely exiled for good when William becomes King,” the source said.
This aid may be required sooner than that, as the Prince of Wales is believed to be “furious” with his brother over last week’s visit.
Harry’s appearance on home soil is said to have reopened old wounds for William, leaving him “even more determined” to cut his brother off.