S Poddar
PRINCE HARRY is reportedly penning a new plan for his comeback from self-imposed exile by getting advice from former royal advisors. The Duke of Sussex is said to be looking away from Hollywood publicists and turning to trusted allies closer to home in an attempt to repair his public image after a run of setbacks and PR gaffes.
At 39, it would appear that Prince Harry is reassessing his strategy-certainly in the face of the lessening popularity he and Meghan Markle have enjoyed of late. If anything, the release of his memoir *Spare* this January seemed to further the rift that had taken place with the royal family, for which he has paid a price. In the most recent YouGov poll, the rating of Prince Harry has further dropped to -30%; Meghan Markle even lower, -40%.
Sources close to the Duke describe how he is now trying to salvage his reputation by reaching out to people who know the inner workings of the royal family inside out and can provide him with counsel that is discreet and loyal. This change in approach has been given added impetus after several key members of his and Meghan’s staff lost in recent months. Chief of Staff Josh Kettler and PR head Christine Weil Schirmer have resigned from their positions. While the matter has received very little attention, many people have been speculating that the couple might be having a rethink into how they go about their public relation matters.
Despite all of that, sources close to the prince said Harry was not looking at a permanent return to royal duties. There was even the possibility that he wanted to extend an olive branch to the royal family in the future, perhaps by taking on some low-key engagements. “One source close to Harry said a friend of the prince’s felt he could quietly start coming back to the UK without the fanfare,” she said.
This new scheme-which some wags have dubbed “Operation Bring Harry In From The Cold”-seems to be taking real flight, for the first time among Harry’s inner circle. One of those former private secretaries, Edward Lane Fox, thinks that anyone who could actually deliver Harry’s homecoming would be someone with experience and loyalty like the old royal retainers.
But there’s still one big hitch: the strained relationship between Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William. In July, the two brothers attended the memorial service for Lord Fellowes, keeping a seemingly safe distance and sending an unmistakable message that their fraternal rift remains open. Meanwhile, to his credit, Harry has not updated his memoir *Spare* and is not doing interviews in advance of the paperback’s October release, believed to be a deliberate move on his part not to further inflame tensions.
Whether the reconciliation with old allies and an overall more subdued approach is enough to get him what he desires remains to be seen. But one thing is for sure: the Duke of Sussex means business finding his way back into the fold and healing his fractured relationship, not only with his royal family but also with the British public.
