Prince Harry ‘showed he feels at home with the Spencers’ by staying with his uncle at Althorp House during his trip to the UK last week, a royal commentator said today.
The Duke of Sussex is thought to have visited Charles Spencer at the ancestral home and final resting place of his late mother Princess Diana in Northamptonshire.
Harry stayed with Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, at Althorp after going to the funeral of Diana’s brother-in-law Lord Robert Fellowes last Thursday, according to People.
And royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline today that Harry staying at Althorp ’emphasises his links with his mother’s family’ – far more so than with his father King Charles III as he remains estranged from most of the Royal Family.
Last Thursday’s service took place two days before the 27th anniversary of Diana’s death on Saturday. Her final resting place is on an island on the Oval Lake at Althorp.
The Duke has remained close to Diana’s family – and her brother Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, also attended a service in May for the tenth anniversary of Harry’s Invictus Games at St Paul’s Cathedral in London, when no senior royal was in attendance.
It was claimed by The Times on August 15 that Harry decided to stay in a hotel during this trip in May after turning down an offer of lodging at Buckingham Palace.
Today, Mr Fitzwilliams said that Harry’s decision to stay at Althorp last week ‘is, of course, understandable so near to the anniversary of his mother’s death’.
Prince Harry with (from left) his aunts Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes and uncle Earl Spencer at the unveiling of a statue of Diana at Kensington Palace on July 1, 2021
Prince Harry is reported to have stayed at the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire last week
Prince Harry stands next to his uncle Earl Spencer and aunt Lady Jane Fellowes at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on May 8 for the tenth anniversary service for the Invictus Games
Diana’s resting place is on an island in a lake at her family home at Althorp, Northamptonshire
But he continued: ‘It does, however, throw into sharp relief the apparent breakdown in relations not only with his brother, to whom he has reportedly not spoken for two years, but with his father, who is fighting cancer.’
ANALYSIS: Prince Harry clearly feels at home with the Spencers
By RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS
People magazine has now replaced Omid Scobie as the Sussexes’ unofficial source to disseminate news.
It has reported that after his surprise visit to Britain to attend the memorial service of his uncle Lord Fellowes, he stayed at the Spencers’ family home of Althorp where his mother Princess Diana is buried.
This is, of course, understandable so near to the anniversary of his mother’s death on August 31.
It does, however, throw into sharp relief the apparent breakdown in relations not only with his brother, to whom he has reportedly not spoken for two years, but with his father, who is fighting cancer.
Reports are unanimous that William and Harry did not speak at the memorial service.
As soon as he heard of his father’s cancer diagnosis Harry flew over, though he only spent under an hour with him.
On his second visit, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Invictus at St Paul’s Cathedral, there were contrary briefings as to why the two of them, despite being in close proximity, failed to meet.
What made it bizarre is that Harry, having called Britain ‘too dangerous’ for him and his family, rejected an offer of Buckingham Palace from his father and stayed in a hotel instead.
The Spencers supported him at St Paul’s, Earl Spencer attended, as did his aunt Lady Jane Fellowes to whom the late Lord Fellowes was married. No member of the royal family was present.
The announcement of his staying at Althorp after the memorial service intentionally emphasises his links with his mother’s family.
Perhaps it will be they, and not members of the Royal Family, who will support him when the Invictus Games are held in Birmingham in 2027.
It has apparently been clarified that Harry is not seeking some form of role within the royal family.
Although the paperback of Spare, published in October, contains no new material and he will be giving no interviews promoting it, it will nonetheless attract more publicity which will be detrimental to the royal family.
It remains to be seen if and when Harry will return again to Britain during his father’s illness.
What is clear is that he feels at home with the Spencers and who can forget Earl Spencer’s oration at his mother’s funeral. Who knows where that might lead in the future?
RICHARD FITZWILLIAMS is a royal commentator and public relations consultant
Harry made a surprise appearance at Lord Fellowes’s memorial service at St Mary’s Church in Snettisham, Norfolk, and is then reported to have travelled to Althorp.
The funeral was also attended by Prince William, but witnesses claimed the estranged brothers kept their distance and sat apart at the back of the church.
One member of the congregation told People: ‘Most people were astounded that Harry came. He was on remarkably good form – and you could tell he was very pleased to see everybody. And he was very pleased that he had come over.’
And Mr Fitzwilliams added: ‘The announcement of his staying at Althorp after the memorial service intentionally emphasises his links with his mother’s family.
‘Perhaps it will be they, and not members of the Royal Family, who will support him when the Invictus Games are held in Birmingham in 2027.’
He also said: ‘It remains to be seen if and when Harry will return again to Britain during his father’s illness.
‘What is clear is that he feels at home with the Spencers and who can forget Earl Spencer’s oration at his mother’s funeral. Who knows where that might lead in the future?’
MailOnline has requested comment from Charles, the 9th Earl Spencer, and representatives of the Sussexes about reports that Harry stayed at Althorp.
But the claims are likely to be true given the US publication’s close links to the couple.
Last month, The Times reported that Harry was offered lodging at Buckingham Palace while visiting the UK in May but turned the rooms down to stay in a hotel.
Prior to this report it had been believed that Harry had asked his father to stay in a royal residence on the trip, but appeared to change his mind and instead opted for a hotel.
But the Times article suggested Harry was offered rooms in Buckingham Palace while his father was staying at nearby Clarence House.
A source told the newspaper at the time: ‘I don’t know what more the King could have done. He offered Harry to stay at Buckingham Palace but that it seems even that wasn’t good enough.
‘It was far from clear what the duke’s plans were. When it came to it there was no space in the King’s diary in between treatment and other scheduled events.’
Harry did not see the King during the trip, with the Duke releasing a statement that said his father did not have time to meet with him.
The source added: ‘It makes Harry’s decision to stay in a hotel all the more strange when the Palace would naturally offer all the security you could wish for.
‘It would also have made more sense from a point of view of seeing his father as it would be easier for the King to see his son if they were staying nearby.’
On his latest trip, Harry chose to stay at Althorp – the 13,000-acre estate where Earl Spencer and Diana grew up with their two sisters – which is a hugely poignant location for him.
Harry revealed in his controversial memoir Spare in January last year that Meghan kneeled and put her palms on Diana’s grave at the estate in 2017 and asked his late mother for ‘clarity and guidance’.
On the 20th anniversary of her death, Harry and Meghan had rowed out to Diana’s final resting place on an island. After some time reflecting, he sensed Meghan wanted a moment to herself by the site.
‘When I returned, she was on her knees with her eyes closed and her palms flat against the stone,’ Harry wrote.
Prince Harry’s aunt Lady Jane Fellowes and uncle Earl Spencer arrive at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on May 8 for the tenth anniversary service for the Invictus Games
Althorp is a 13,000-acre estate where Earl Spencer and Diana grew up with their two sisters
Charles and Diana with Harry and William, during a holiday on the Isles of Scilly in June 1989
In May, Earl Spencer revealed he was overcome with emotion when a friend gave him a hand-made canoe as a present for his 60th birthday.
The gift was constructed by the friend’s husband who said: ‘I just thought it would be useful when you visit your sister.’
Diana was buried on a small island in the middle of the lake, which can be reached only by boat.
Earl Spencer had originally planned to lay Diana to rest in the family tombs at a local church, but said he was concerned about her safety.
On Saturday, he marked the anniversary of his sister’s death in 1997 by paying tribute on on Instagram, sharing a series of newspaper cuttings from her early life.
Diana died in a car crash in Paris when Harry was just 12 years old.
Prince Harry chats with Earl Spencer ahead of the unveiling of a statue of his mother Diana at Kensington Palace in London on July 1, 2021, which would have been her 60th birthday
A friend gifted Earl Spencer this canoe as a 60th birthday present so he can ‘visit’ Diana. The canoe is pictured on the bank next to the Oval Lake at Althorp, his sister’s final resting place
Prince Harry chats to Earl Spencer and Lady Sarah McCorquodale after a service to celebrate the life of Diana ten years after her death, at the Guards Chapel in London on August 31, 2007
It comes as separate reports emerged last night that Harry has ‘no interest’ in leaving the US and returning to royal duties in Britain.
The Duke has reportedly sought advice from trusted former aides on how to mastermind a return to the UK – nearly five years after he and Meghan stepped down as senior royals.
But sources close to Harry, who turns 40 this month, told the Daily Telegraph that he is settled in California with Meghan, 43, and their children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.
They also claim that Harry has an ‘amazing’ new set of friends in the US and several projects on the horizon. He is preparing for a trip to New York where he will take part in charity engagements.
According to The Mail on Sunday, he has turned away from his ‘Hollywood publicists’ and resorted to texting former confidants ‘from his old life’ on how to mastermind a return from exile in the US.
Then-Prince Charles, Prince William, Prince Harry, Prince Philip and Earl Spencer on the day of Princess Diana’s funeral in London on September 6, 1997
Earl Spencer, Princess Diana, Charles, Lady Jane Fellowes and Lady Sarah McCorquodale at Earl Spencer’s 21st birthday party at Althorp in 1985
They are reportedly willing to help him build bridges with his old life in Britain, with some referring to it as ‘Operation Bring Harry In From The Cold’.
It was said that marked the first stage in a potential strategy to ‘rehabilitate’ Harry and repair his relationship with King Charles.
Harry has also chosen not to update Spare ahead of its release in paperback next month, nor to give interviews to publicise it, which could be seen as an olive branch.
But William is still understood to be deeply hurt by Harry’s sustained attacks on his family.
According to friends, he does not discuss Harry, and is instead focusing on his wife, Kate – who is still undergoing treatment for cancer – their children and his work.
Lord Fellows at the High Court in February 2008 to give evidence in Princess Diana’s inquest
Queen Elizabeth II and Lord Fellowes aboard the royal yacht Britannia in Florida in May 1991
The brothers are not believed to have spoken properly for two years.
Harry flew out of Los Angeles on Tuesday and slipped into the UK without fanfare.
The prince, who is suing the UK Home Office for withdrawing his police protection when he quit royal duties and left the UK and says it is unsafe to bring his wife or family here, then travelled to Norfolk to attend the memorial.
Harry, whose PR team had previously briefed friendly media to say he would not be flying to the UK for the funeral, is not believed to have travelled on to meet with his father at Balmoral.
King Charles III has been in residence at his Scottish estate with Queen Camilla.
Harry and Charles last saw each other briefly back in February, when the prince flew to the UK from California for a meeting that lasted barely 30 minutes after Charles’s cancer diagnosis was announced.
The funeral for Lord Fellowes was at the 14th century St Mary’s Church in Snettisham, Norfolk
The interior of St Mary’s Church in Snettisham is pictured last Friday, following the funeral
Harry then returned to London once more, in May, but his father’s diary was full with work and his cancer treatment, and they did not meet.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that Harry and Meghan have parted company with another American PR adviser, Christine Weil Schirmer, the tenth staff member to leave in three years. She has joined PR giant Brunswick.
Lord Fellowes, who died on July 29 aged 82, was married to Diana’s sister Lady Jane Fellowes.
He was a long-time Buckingham Palace courtier who worked for Queen Elizabeth II for 22 years until 1999.
This was a period which covered both the breakdown of his sister-in-law’s marriage to then-Prince Charles and her death in 1997.