Prince William and Kate Middleton ‘furious’ over Prince Harry’s anniversary plans

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Friends of Prince William and Kate Middleton said the couple would be outraged by Prince Harry’s decision to give a speech in London on the eve of the anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s death. While sources also told The Daily Beast that Harry is unlikely to see his father or brother, and he will not be expected to attend any private or public family gatherings marking the late Queen’s death.

The apparent cold welcome comes after Harry’s office announced Thursday that he will appear at the WellChild Awards on September 7 and give a speech.

Given that September 8 is the anniversary of the Queen’s death, it seems inconceivable that he would not refer to or pay tribute to his late grandmother, especially since he missed last year’s WellChild Awards while striving to get by his grandmother’s side.

William and Kate are scheduled to make an as-yet-unconfirmed public appearance outside London on September 8, where they will remember the late Queen – and there will inevitably now be questions as to whether Harry inserted himself so dramatically into the week’s events that will overshadow their plans. A source in their office told The Daily Beast that exact details of their engagement will be announced soon.

A friend of William and Kate said the couple likely have no intention of ever meeting or having an affair with Harry, which is unsurprising, some might say, given the perilous state of relations between the previously close brothers.

It was also reported that Meghan Markle will not be coming with Harry to the UK, and is instead traveling directly from their home in California to Dusseldorf, Germany, to attend the opening of the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style event for wounded ex-servicemen that Harry created.

Harry will reportedly still be in the UK on September 8 – and his decision to be in the country on the actual anniversary of the Queen’s death will seem to some to be a calculated provocation.

The royals have previously said that although William and Kate are engaged, there will be no official public events centered around the anniversary celebration. King Charles and Queen Camilla will not appear in public, instead spending the day in what the courtiers described as “private meditation”. This follows the precedent set by the late Queen herself who spent the anniversary of her father’s death in private.

A friend of Prince William told The Daily Beast: “It is becoming increasingly difficult to know what Harry wants to be and what he wants to do. He was appointed to be the caretaker of WellChild because he was a member of the royal family. Now that appears to be something he wants to continue to do as a normal individual. William and Kate will be angry, especially over the date, but they will ignore it. What else can they do?”

They said William and Kate would not extend an olive branch to Harry by inviting him to appear with them, or to meet for private talks.

Earlier this week, a source told The Daily Beast that reports that Harry was set to meet his father in so-called “peace talks” were untrue, saying: “Charles won’t see Harry and he won’t see William either. No chance. It’s He feels completely betrayed by what Harry wrote about him in the book and what he said about him on Netflix.”

William, in particular, feels deeply wounded by what he sees of his brother’s betrayal by recounting family secrets and private conversations in his diary. additional. William and Kate were also angered by Harry’s criticism of their decisions about raising their children as royals, The Daily Beast understands.

Kensington Palace staff have already said that William and Kate will appear in public on the first anniversary of Elizabeth’s death. Given that this is the day after Harry gives his speech, there may be a possibility that the two camps could accommodate each other, if Harry avoids any public engagements on the actual anniversary.

The real tension at the palace will be that Harry may choose to further disrupt the day’s delicate choreography by making a surprise appearance on the eighth day itself.

A friend of King Charles sought to downplay the impact of Harry’s visit, telling The Daily Beast: “Harry is a private citizen. What he does on the anniversary of the Queen’s death is entirely up to him. The King certainly won’t change his plans in reaction to what Harry does.”

Asked if the monarch was concerned that Harry’s appearance at a major charity event could distract media attention, the friend said: “I don’t think anyone is under any illusions about the challenges he faces moving forward with Harry. But the bigger picture is here. Is that this is the anniversary of the King’s death, and people will want to celebrate it in different ways.

The friend said Harry, who is expected to stay in London, will not meet his father in Scotland.

Reuters/Toby Melville

However, there is little doubt that Harry’s arrival in London to attend the WellChild charity, of which he has been patron for many years, will be the subject of intense media interest, not least because it will in many respects be a reboot of the dramatic events that took place in 2022.

Harry and Meghan were in the UK for the ceremony last year when news broke of the Queen’s death. Harry cancels his commitment to the WellChild Program and hurries off to Scotland in a desperate attempt to see his grandmother one last time, but she is dead by the time he gets there. He wrote in his diary that Charles asked him not to bring his wife, who wanted to come. He was also excluded from joining the royal party on an RAF plane, having to instead charter a small plane to make his way to Scotland.

Harry complained in his memoirs that he learned of her death via a BBC news alert on his phone as his small plane was landing at Aberdeen airport, although the palace said he had been told the news in secret before announcing it publicly.

Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace and the Duchess of Sussex did not respond to requests for comment about whether Harry would meet a family member during his visit to the UK.