Prince Harry to stay in UK for Queen’s birthday after peace talks with senior royals

Prince Harry met with senior royals after his grandfather’s funeral in a bid to clear the air, and is now expected to stay for the Queen’s birthday.

Senior royals reportedly held two hours of peace talks with Prince Harry following his grandfather’s funeral, but an insider claims the rift between he and his family is far from over.

However, it has apparently been enough to convince Prince Harry, who was expected to fly back to California soon after the Duke of Edinburgh's send off, to stay in the UK for the Queen’s birthday.

His brother, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and father Prince Charles met with the duke at Frogmore Cottage, where he briefly lived with wife Meghan Markle before they stepped down as senior royals and moved across the pond, and chatted for about two hours, The Sun reports.

An insider told The Sun: “Harry obviously felt outnumbered as there are three of them and only one of him so wanted it to be on his home turf.

“There is no way this is the end of the crisis in their relationships but it’s a good gesture and a nice way to take the first step towards healing.

“William, Kate and Charles all left after about two hours, which was long enough for the process of getting father and brothers talking again to start.”

Prince Philip’s funeral marked the first time Prince Harry had seen his family since he and Meghan’s bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey, where the duke said he had felt “trapped” in the royal family.

Royal insiders claimed Prince Harry experienced “a great deal of frostiness” from many of his relatives since he arrived.

Prince Andrew, Duke of York, has become a surprising ally of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, according to royal watchers. Picture: Gareth Fuller/WPA Pool/Getty Images

While the duke was spotted chatting with Prince William and Kate Middleton after the service his arrival hasn’t been met with the warmest responses from other royals, according to some insiders.

They explained, according to The Sun: “Ironically the only one who has expressed any sympathy towards him is Prince Andrew.

“He knows from Sarah Ferguson – and now first hand – how it feels to be the outsider, which Harry very much is.

“As far as the others are concerned, there is a deep sense of protection towards the Queen and resentment towards Harry.

“There is little sympathy for him after what he and Meghan said on Oprah.”

It is claimed Princess Anne, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie all failed to acknowledge Prince Harry before or during the funeral service.

ROYALS HOLD SUMMIT AS PHILIP’S DEATH SPARKS CRISIS

It comes as Prince Philip’s death has hastened the final act of the Elizabethan era with the next generation royal family likened to nothing more than soap stars straight out of Aussie drama Neighbours, Britain commentators claim.

Prominent BBC broadcaster and author Andrew Marr has questioned whether Prince Charles or his sons William and Harry have the ability to keep the monarchy going in its current form.

Prince William and Prince Harry have been at war since the younger brother’s bombshell Oprah Winfrey interview. Picture: Danny Lawson/Getty Images

He said while many were deferential to the Queen now, more so post the funeral of her husband, once the period of mourning was over questions on the monarchy’s future would rightfully be asked.

Prince Charles now faces a potential crisis within the royal family. Picture: Getty Images

“The two of them were a living link, one of very few, to all our yesterdays,” he wrote in an opinion piece yesterday.

“But looking beyond this period of mourning, the surrounding atmosphere has been radically democratised and changed. The walls that once enclosed the magic garden of monarchy have collapsed. Think of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s (Harry and Meghan) interview with Oprah Winfrey, and the heated reactions to it; the commentary on Prince Andrew’s interview with BBC Newsnight after the Jeffrey Epstein affair; or, going back further, the almost mutinous mood immediately after the death of Princess Diana.”

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, is seen as one of the royal family’s stabilising influences. Picture: Chris Jackson/WPA Pool/Getty Images

He argued the evolution of society was less deferential, less class-bound, more multi-ethnic, less militarised, more feminised.

He said even during this “mourning period” his employers BBC had received more than 100,000 complaints about the“excessive coverage” of Philip’s death.

He predicted a republican movement would grow as would Scotland’s renewed push for independence.

Marr’s comments come as Prince Charles and Prince William prepare to lead a royal summit to decide the future of the monarchy.

With the assistance of the Queen, The Sun reports, the two future kings will decide which members will retain senior roles and what they will do.

Prince Philip’s death leaves vacant the hundreds of patronages he was responsible for.

Charles’ youngest brother, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie, the Countess of Wessex, have taken a more prominent role in the public eye since Philip’s death.

Sophie, Countess of Wessex, with her children. Picture: Steve Parsons AFP

The Wessexes are thought to be potential substitutes for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry but already have their plates full with engagements and will have little time to take on the duties of the Sussexes and Prince Andrew.

Royal author Nigel Cawthorne said while Philip was seen as a “moderniser” of the Firm, the monarchy itself was from a bygone age.

Prince Harry cuts a lonely figure at the funeral of his grandfather. Picture: Yui Mok/Getty Images

“It always strikes me as light opera, all their uniforms, it’s surprising it still goes on,” he said. “Millions of people come to London because we also do that (theatre) so well, but it is part of the same thing isn’t it. It really is part of the royal soap opera, maybe not as good as Neighbours, but from the same genre.”

Senior royals walks behind Prince Philip’s coffin in the funeral procession. Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage

He said when the Queen dies Prince Charles may be challenged by the Accession Council, a body largely made up of the Privy Council to proclaim the accession to the throne.

On the council were noted republicans including former Labor Leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“Prince Charles was very unpopular of course when he was divorcing Diana, no one could understand why he abandoned one of the most beautiful women in the world for someone who looks like a horse but I think we have just got used to him, but I don’t imagine if there is a constitutional crisis anyone would go to the barricades for him,” Mr Cawthorne said.

He added there was affection for the Queen and Philip as survivors of the great generation “however that is coming to and end now and the next generation and the one after that are not of the same calibre.”