Sources close to Prince Harry have accused “men in grey suits” at Buckingham Palace of trying to block his reconciliation with King Charles.
The Duke of Sussex is said to be angered by what he believes are hostile briefings to newspapers aimed at derailing recent private talks with the King.
An insider close to the Duke of Sussex told the Mail: “The relationship between the Duke and His Majesty The King is a matter for the two of them and the two of them only. The men in grey suits should stay out of it.”
The comments echo Princess Diana’s long-standing criticism of royal courtiers, whom she also described as “the men in grey suits”.
Prince Harry echoes Princess Diana with ‘men in grey suits’ swipe at Buckingham Palace aides
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It was reported last week that aides were discussing ways to bring father and son together for more public appearances, without Harry resuming any formal royal duties.
Those plans followed a 50-minute meeting at Clarence House earlier this month, their first face-to-face conversation in 18 months.
Yet within hours of that report, insiders briefed that Harry would “never be allowed to return as a ‘half-in, half-out’ working royal”.
One source was quoted as saying Harry’s supporters had “mistaken a brief tea and a slice of cake for the Treaty of Versailles”.
Princess Diana famously critiqued the ‘men in grey suits’
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The Sun then reported that the meeting had been “distinctly formal” and that Harry described it as “very official, like an official visit”, adding that it was the King’s shortest meeting of the day and that no public appearance was planned.
In response, a spokesman for Harry told GB News: “Recent reporting of the Duke’s view of the tone of the meeting is categorically false.
“The quotes attributed to him are pure invention fed, one can only assume, by sources intent on sabotaging any reconciliation between father and son.”
The spokesman also rejected claims that Harry gave Charles a framed photograph of himself with Meghan and their children Archie and Lilibet, clarifying: “While we would have preferred such details to remain private, for the sake of clarity we can confirm that a framed photograph was handed over, however the image did not contain the Duke and Duchess.”
Harry has previously criticised royal courtiers in his memoir Spare, referring to three key figures as “Bee, Wasp and Fly” and accusing them of “bold Machiavellian manoeuvres”.
Sources say Harry plans to visit Britain “four or five times” a year and hopes eventually to appear in public with the King, potentially at the Invictus Games in Birmingham in 2027, though relations with Prince William remain strained.
The Sun has stood by its reporting, with a spokesman saying: “In his statement, Prince Harry confirms the exchange of gifts, including a family photograph.
“The office of the Duke of Sussex was given full right of reply in advance of publication and opted not to give a response to The Sun’s carefully sourced account. We have today updated the online article to include his new statement.”