Prince Harry visits Diana’s grave amid ‘glimmering hope’ of royal comeback

The Duke of Sussex made a secret pilgrimage to his mother’s resting place as it was revealed the Spencer family is behind a long-running campaign for a royal reconciliation.

Prince Harry visited the grave of his mother Princess Diana during his surprise return to the UK, where the Spencer family has been revealed as the driving force behind a concerted campaign for a royal reconciliation with Prince William.

It comes as Princess Diana’s brother Charles Spencer invited Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to spend Christmas at Althrop in what would be Duchess’s first visit to the UK since the Queen’s funeral in 2022.

“It’s far too early to say whether they will take him up on it, but the offer is there if they want it,” a source told Express.

During his brief visit, the Duke of Sussex reportedly stayed with his uncle, Charles Spencer, at the family’s ancestral home in Northampton, where his mother was buried after her 1997 death.

“Harry visited the grave when he was in Althorp. It’s a very special place for all the family but especially Harry. It was a significant part of his motivation for staying there,” a Spencer insider told The Daily Beast.

Princess Diana with sons Prince Harry and Prince William. Picture: Getty Images

The funeral of Lord Robert Fellowes, described as a “huge gathering of the Spencer clan”, is thought to have been delayed so Prince Harry could attend as part of their plan to reunite the Duke with his estranged brother.

That Prince William agreed to attend after learning of Prince Harry’s presence was seen as a “glimmer of hope” despite the two not directly speaking or interacting.

“Behind the scenes, the Spencers have been working hard to get the brothers to reconcile. They understand William’s hurt at Harry’s betrayal, but they also understand Harry’s position because of the way Diana was treated by the Windsors,” a friend of the Spencer family told the outlet.

Family believe only a funeral can bring the two estranged brothers together. Picture: AFP

Lord Robert Fellows during the inquest into the death of his sister-in-law, Princess Diana. Picture: Getty Images

“Harry is still very close to his mother’s family. If anyone can mediate between the brothers it will be Jane.”

Baroness Jane Fellowes, Diana’s elder sister, is adored by both Prince William and Prince Harry and their presence at the funeral of her husband was a “promising sign” that “blood is thicker than water”.

“It was probably always going to be a funeral that brought the boys together under one roof, and the fact that William didn’t boycott it because Harry was going to be there has cast a glimmer of hope in an otherwise deeply depressing impasse,” the Spencer insider said.

“Harry is still very close to his mother’s family. If anyone can mediate between the brothers it will be Jane,” another added.

Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner said it was “no surprise” that Prince Harry has turned to the family of his mother as he seeks to reconcile with his family.

“Earl Spencer promised at the funeral of his sister Diana … to constantly look after his nephews William and Harry,” Mr Turner told Fox News. “Harry can rely upon Earl Spencer.”

Prince Harry wrote about taking wife Meghan Markle to meet his mother at her island gravesite, purposefully difficult to reach to deter unwanted visitors, in his memoir Spare.

On the 25th anniversary of her death in 2022, they rowed to the island and said quiet prayers for “guidance and clarity.

“Meg’s first time. At long last, I was bringing the girl of my dreams home to meet Mum,” Prince Harry wrote. “We hesitated, hugging, and then I went first. “I placed flowers on the grave. Meg gave me a moment, and I spoke to my mother in my head, told her I missed her.”