Men

As we discussed, on late Friday/early Saturday, the Sun published a curious exclusive. Originally, they claimed that “insiders” told them that Prince Harry was surprised with the formality of his September 10th meeting with his father inside Clarence House. The sources quoted by the Sun proclaimed to have insider information about both Harry’s manner and King Charles’s manner, and even had details about what was discussed, what food was served and what father and son gave to each other. The Sun originally said that Harry gave his father a photo of himself, Meghan, Archie and Lili. Well, within hours, Harry’s spokesperson responded to the story, and then the Sun responded as well:

“Recent reporting of The Duke’s view of the tone of the meeting is categorically false,” Harry’s spokesperson said in a statement to PEOPLE on Sept. 27. “The quotes attributed to him are pure invention fed, one can only assume, by sources intent on sabotaging any reconciliation between father and son. Presumably, those same sources have also chosen to disclose that gifts were exchanged.”

The spokesperson also confirmed that Harry presented his father with a framed photograph, but clarified that it did not include Harry or Meghan Markle. “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,” the spokesperson added. The statement suggests instead that the picture featured only the King’s grandchildren, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4, whom he has not seen in more than three years.

In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for The Sun said, “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 yesterday in advance of publication and opted not to give a response to The Sun’s carefully sourced account of the meeting. We have today updated the online article to include his new statement.”

[From People]

The more I think about it, the more I wonder which camp is really behind it. Harry’s statement indicates that he believes the courtiers – mostly his father’s courtiers? – are the ones behind this particular story. But… The Sun is owned by NGN (the Murdochs) and Kensington Palace gives so many stories to both the Sun and the Times. Plus, we know that Prince William and his staff love to “forge” Harry’s signature, and I believe they consistently position themselves as “sources close to Harry,” and they spread lies and smears about the Sussexes as they pose as “friends of the Sussexes.” You see what I’m saying? The actual story feels like it’s from Charles’s camp, but the M.O. is pure Peggy. Saboteurs are in both royal courts though, so your guess is as good as mine. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail had an exclusive in which “sources” also blame the palace courtiers.

Prince Harry last night lambasted ‘men in grey suits’ at Buckingham Palace, accusing aides of trying to sabotage his reconciliation with the King. The Duke’s furious broadside is an extraordinary echo of his mother Princess Diana’s criticism of shadowy royal courtiers – who she also derided as ‘the men in grey suits’ and accused of undermining her. Harry is understood to be infuriated at what he sees as a concerted campaign by unnamed Palace officials to torpedo his efforts to strike a rapprochement with his father by giving hostile briefings to newspapers.

‘The relationship between the Duke and His Majesty The King is a matter for the two of them and the two of them only,’ a source close to the Duke told The Mail on Sunday. ‘The men in grey suits should stay out of it.’

The increasingly bitter war of words between Harry’s camp and Palace officials erupted after this newspaper revealed last weekend that talks were under way between aides to gradually bring the King and his younger son together in a public show of unity. The MoS disclosed that as part of cautious plans to foster a reconciliation, the Duke might take part in more public events in Britain, though not as a working member of the Royal Family. But within hours of the MoS publishing its story, insiders began briefing journalists that Harry will never be allowed to return as a ‘half-in, half-out’ working royal – despite such a claim not appearing in this newspaper’s report. In a waspish comment about the significance of the Duke’s meeting with Charles, one unnamed source suggested those in Team Harry had ‘mistaken a brief tea and a slice of cake for the Treaty of Versailles’.

[From The Daily Mail]

“In a waspish comment” – many believe this is the Mail pointing to Clive Alderton, Charles’s private secretary, who Harry described as “The Wasp” in Spare. As in, Harry believes that Charles’s courtiers, including Alderton, are sabotaging his reconciliation attempts with his father, and the Daily Mail is suggesting in their special way that Harry is correct. Now, about this: “But within hours of the MoS publishing its story, insiders began briefing journalists that Harry will never be allowed to return as a ‘half-in, half-out’ working royal.” I still don’t even know how much of this is just Charles vs. William, with Harry as collateral damage. I’m really glad that Harry issued a statement though, and that he’s pushing back on the past three weeks of insanity.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images, The Sun.