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Prince Harry has been at odds with the royal family for years. He and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from their roles as senior royals back in 2020 and have lived in California ever since. The two have only returned for major royal events and have not spent any holidays with the family.

Harry recently visited his father in London after learning of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis, but he returned to California only a day later. Now, one expert claims Harry is still viewing himself as the “victim” in the royal fallout — and that it could prompt the king to apologize and end the rift once and for all.

King Charles and Prince Harry
King Charles and Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Is Prince Harry expecting an apology from King Charles?

Harry and Charles have been talking more lately; the two men were hardly on speaking terms when Harry first left the family. But despite getting along better, one royal expert says that Harry still feels like he was the one who was wronged in the whole situation. And while he might have things he could apologize for, he primarily feels “like the victim.”

Duncan Larcombe, a royal expert, told Bella Magazine (via Express) that Harry has to be “the driving force” in repairing the royal rift. But he added that Charles is “more likely” to be the one to apologize. “There’s only going to be healing if it starts with some form of behind-the-scenes apology, which is more likely to be with King Charles himself,” Larcombe said. “Harry may feel a slight twinge of guilt, but he still feels like the victim.”

It seems that Harry has made it clear he’s waiting for an apology. In a 2023 interview with Anderson Cooper, Harry said that he wants his father and brother to take “accountability” for their role in the royal drama, but he also said that he does think a reconciliation is possible and that he ultimately wants to have a good relationship with his family again.

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It’s unclear what Prince Harry’s recent meeting with King Charles entailed

We don’t know the details of Harry’s short meeting with Charles in the UK in early February. We know that it lasted no more than 45 minutes and that it took place immediately after Charles announced his cancer diagnosis. For all we know, it could have been an apology conversation.

Harry arrived in the UK less than 24 hours before departing, and it’s notable that he did not meet with his brother, Prince William, nor did he pay a visit to Kate Middleton, who is recovering from abdominal surgery. Harry and William have had an especially tense relationship in recent years, with it being reported that the two men don’t speak at all. It was revealed that Harry reached out to William after Queen Elizabeth II died, but William did not answer his brother’s text. The road ahead remains uncertain for the royal family. Little is known about Charles’ cancer diagnosis, and while Harry clearly still has love for his father, they did not speak for long.