‘Very thick’: Clue behind brutal new Prince Harry warning

“Ludicrous”: One brutal reaction to Harry’s alleged royal comeback attempt has proven very telling.

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Barely a day goes by without there being fresh rumours about at least one member of the royal family, but every once in a while, the mild speculation becomes an exceptionally noisy buzz.

We’re in the midst of one right now – and that persistent and loud hum is all about Prince Harry’s alleged 180-flip on his royal future.

In case you missed it: the Mail on Sunday kicked off the latest frenzy, quoting sources close to the Duke of Sussex who claimed that he’d been reaching out to former UK-based pals and aides who might be able to help him plot something of a comeback in his home country.

After all the fuss, furore and Sussex tell-alls centred around their great escape from the monarchy, it truly is almost unfathomable.

But as with most of these claims, there’s a scale of possibilities.

At one end is the possibility that Harry really is gunning for a royal role, and even considering moving back to Britain. (Never mind the fact that it’s impossible to imagine that Meghan Markle would ever return to Britain, where she lived only briefly and is deeply unpopular, or that the pair would yank their young son out of his US school).

Harry and Meghan’s penchant for undertaking “unofficial royal tours” indicates there may be some aspects of their old job they miss. Picture: Colombian Vice President's Office via Getty Images

At the other end, we’ve got the option that the whole story is false. As a source told the UK’s Telegraph: “There is no truth to the idea that he wants to go back to the UK”.

News.com.au has reached out to Harry’s team for clarification.

But people – reportedly linked to Harry’s camp – are clearly talking. It wasn’t just The Mail. Sources speaking on the matter have now been quoted across a number of publications (including The Mirror and The Sun), with varying versions of this story.

Somewhere in the middle is the more mild notion that Harry is testing the waters on how he might reboot his shockingly negative image in the UK. He may even be open to the possibility of “helping out” the King on an ad hoc basis, particularly given the royals’ staffing issues due to Charles and Kate’s cancer battles.

The very concept of Harry returning not only to the family he has (unsuccessfully) demanded apologies from and publicly criticised, but to the very structure of the institution populated by the “grey suits” that he has condemned, sounds wildly unlikely.

As with most of these claims, it’s impossible to know exactly what the person at the heart of it is really thinking (especially now that Harry’s ruled out Spare 2.0).

Look closely, though. There have been plenty of clues which – when combined – make the idea of British strategy meetings being held behind closed Californian doors not quite so far-fetched.

One of the major hints is the force with which allies of Prince William have reportedly hit back at the story. As The Mail conceded in its initial report, any potential re-entering of the royal fold by the duke can only happen “if certain member of the family could find it in themselves to allow it”.

It’s understood Harry has barely spoken a word to his brother and sister-in-law in two years. Picture: Chris Jackson/Getty Images

‘Very thick - or pretending to be’

With the brothers’ rift still taking up plenty of oxygen in the royal space, there are no prizes for guessing to whom that may be referring.

While William’s office has declined to respond to the rumours of his estranged brother’s royal inclinations, his allies were happy to weigh in anonymously on his behalf, according to the Daily Beast.

“Harry is a broken record at this stage. We all know he would love to be given a part-time royal role, but Queen Elizabeth was very clear that he couldn’t be half in and half out,” a friend of the Prince of Wales reportedly told the publication.

“Nothing has changed. Whoever is promulgating these ludicrous theories on Harry’s behalf is simply pretending to not get the message that he is not wanted. They are either very thick or pretending to be.”

You don’t have to squint hard to locate the very, very obvious message from William’s camp here. It’s been laid out, right there, so that Harry can’t miss it: “He is not wanted”.

In fact, that such a blunt warning even felt necessary suggests that maybe, just maybe, the Wales’ camp believes there could be truth to the new Sussex claims. Enough that the very fragile ceasefire that seemed to exist as recently as last week when the pair both attended a family funeral together – albeit without speaking to each other – has apparently come to an abrupt end.

Meanwhile, let’s go back. Right back to 2020, to the most obvious clue of all as to Harry’s intentions: literally his own words.

In the bombshell 2022 Netflix series, Harry & Meghan, the duke detailed the proposal he’d pushed for in the “Sandringham Summit” – a forum comprised of the various senior royals and aides – at which he’d been offered five options.

“One being, all in, no change. Five being, all out,” he told producers. “I chose option three in the meeting. Half-in, half-out. Have our own jobs, but also work in support of the Queen.

“It became very clear very quickly, that goal was not up for discussion or debate.”

The truth is, if Harry is now indeed considering filling in on the royal roster where needed, it’s basically exactly what he’d openly requested back then. Maybe now, with cooler heads, royal staffing issues, and some water under the bridge, Harry has considered it may be time to broach the subject once more.

Harry’s many tell-all interviews created a massive rift between him and the royals. Picture: CBS

Meanwhile, in February this year, after previously declaring that he would not reconcile with his family without “accountability” and an apology – an ultimatum which appears to have been ignored – and in the wake of his father’s cancer diagnosis, it was clear Harry had softened his stance.

“I’ve got other trips planned that will take me through the UK, or back to the UK, and so I’ll stop in and see my family as much as I can,” he told Good Morning America.

Weeks later, in early March – a full four years after their dramatic relocation to the US – Harry and Meghan hired their own UK-based public relations executive for the first time.

The newest member of their PR team reports to the busy US branch – but the very fact of the role’s conception surely indicates that the Sussexes were expecting to need it.

Of course, there’s also the couple’s recent “unofficial royal tours” – Nigeria in May and Colombia last month – hinting that maybe they’re missing some key elements of their old jobs.

If Harry really is exploring his options when it comes to casual royal shifts, there’s plenty that stands in his way: namely, William (along with the vast population of Britain who are still holding a grudge against their former favourite son).

Yes, the likelihood of this happening is unbelievably slim, but one thing we’re all learning in these turbulent royal times? Best to never say never.

Originally published as ‘Very thick’: Clue behind brutal new Prince Harry warning