How Meghan Markle’s presence at Prince Harry, King Charles reunion ‘changes the stakes’

Meghan Markle’s potential presence at Prince Harry’s upcoming UK reunion with King Charles III could up the ante for a royal reconciliation.

“Meghan’s presence would certainly add symbolic weight to any reunion,” royal commentator Amanda Matta exclusively told Page Six.

“If Meghan accompanies Harry to the UK or to a meeting with his family, it would signal to the public that any effort at rebuilding relationships extends to the Sussex family as a whole.”

The “Off With Their Headlines” podcast co-host noted that the Duchess of Sussex’s presence at the highly anticipated meet-up wouldn’t necessarily make a reconciliation “either easier or more difficult.”

“It just changes the stakes,” Matta said. “The challenge in reconciling has never really been about any one person; it has been rebuilding trust across the board.”

While the insider admitted she had not heard anything about Markle’s plans to join her husband during his meeting with the King, she noted that her relationship with the reigning monarch “has always been somewhat distinct from Harry’s.”

“Historically, there have been indications that Charles made efforts to welcome her into the family, but she has taken a step back in recent years,” Matta said. “I see that as an acknowledgment that the Sussexes’ ongoing tensions with the royals actually stem from Harry and his own family.”

She continued, “The issues he has raised, of press intrusion and an emotionally stifling palace environment, existed and were eating away at Harry before he even met Meghan.”

Matta believes that the “frenzy” over Markle and Harry’s relationship with the royal family, and Britain in general, has “considerably” died down since they last appeared alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2022.

“The public generally understands that this relationship is incredibly complicated, but they also know more than ever about the way the monarchy operates,” Matta said. “The greatest risk, in my opinion, comes from how the palace manages this ‘return.'”

“If the public sees mixed signals, like suggestions of reconciliation alongside reports of ongoing or renewed tension, it would reinforce the impression that the royal family is still navigating unresolved issues behind the scenes — that they can’t get their act together, in other words,” she said.

While Markle’s participation in the gathering has yet to be confirmed, Page Six confirmed that the pair is bringing their two kids to the UK next month, marking Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet’s first visit across the pond since 2022. We’re told Archie and Lilibet are expected to see Charles during their trip.

Our source also shared that Harry “desperately wants” his kids to reunite with their grandfather.

Charles allegedly extended an olive branch by inviting the Sussexes to stay at a royal residence while they’re in town, the US Sun reported. Charles also reportedly offered to take care of their security arrangements.

While Harry briefly united with Charles a few times after the King’s cancer diagnosis, Markle has not been back in the UK since attending the late Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in September 2022.

Markle, 44, and Harry, 41, have been on the outs with the royal family since they resigned from their royal duties and moved to California in 2020. They added fuel to the fire after Harry published his 2023 tell-all memoir, “Spare.” The pair also gave several interviews in which they dragged royal family members.

While Charles, 77, and Harry have been working to bury the hatchet, William, 44, is still estranged from his younger brother.