Royal Showdown: King Charles 'Opening Balmoral's Doors' to Harry and Meghan Despite Prince William's 'Strong Opposition'
King Charles hopes inviting his son and daughter-in-law to Balmoral is seen as an olive branch.
Jan. 26 2026, Published 7:00 p.m. ET
"Dying" King Charles III is making his most dramatic move yet towards making peace with Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The monarch is reportedly offering up the use of the family's beloved Balmoral Castle in Scotland, a place so sacred to him and his late mother, Queen Elizabeth II, who died there during her annual summer break in September 2022. However, Harry's brother, Prince William, is vehemently opposed to the plan.
'A Genuine Desire to Heal'
King Charles hopes to heal the rift with Harry and Markle by welcoming them to Balmoral.
“This is Charles’ most personal residence," a palace source tells royal insider Rob Shuter, who wrote about it on his Substack. “Offering Harry and Meghan time at Balmoral is an enormous gesture. It signals trust, forgiveness, and a genuine desire to heal.”
The king's plan would allow Harry and Markle back into the fold at Balmoral during "select family gatherings," although there's little chance of his estranged brother, William, ever taking part in the move towards reconciliation.
"William is strongly opposed," a second source claimed. "He believes it’s too much, too soon – and fears it could reopen wounds that have barely begun to heal."
'He Knows Time Is Precious'
Balmoral Castle was Queen Elizabeth II's favorite place and is equally cherished by King Charles.
During their two summers as a married couple while still working royals, Harry, 41, and Markle, 44, were invited by the queen to join the family for their annual summer getaway to Balmoral, but the duo showed no interest and never attended.
Balmoral is a place where the royal family enjoys the great outdoors, taking long hikes, going horseback riding, hosting shooting parties, and participating in family barbecues.
The Duke of Sussex was last there briefly after the queen passed, although he angered his brother and uncles by making them wait as Markle pitched a fit about being asked not to come along to Scotland. As a result, they arrived just after the queen died and were unable to say their final goodbyes.
Still, Charles wants to welcome the pair back into the fold with the grand gesture of a Balmoral invite.
"He knows time is precious," the insider noted about the monarch and his ongoing battle with cancer. “This is about family, not protocol.”
More UK Trips Ahead
Markle will likely be making a return to the UK with her husband for the Invictus Games.
Charles showed his openness towards welcoming Harry back into the royal family with their September 2025 meeting at Clarence House. It came after months of careful negotiations by both teams.
It was the first time Harry saw his dad in 19 months, the last being shortly after the monarch revealed his cancer diagnosis in February 2024.
With the duke's 2027 Invictus Games being held in Birmingham, England, the chances of Harry making more trips back to Britain have greatly increased. So has the possibility that Markle will be joining him, as she hasn't been back in the U.K. since the queen's funeral.
The duo is expected to attend a one-year countdown event in July, making the possibility of an extended stay and a trip to Balmoral possible with the king's new offer.
Still Estranged
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The last time Princes William and Harry were together was at their grandmother's funeral in 2022.
While Harry and Charles are on the mend, William and his younger brother haven't been on speaking terms for years, ever since the duke quit the royal family and moved to California with his former actress wife in 2020.
The couple then made a name for themselves by bashing his royal relatives in scandalous U.S. television interviews, their 2022 Netflix docuseries, and in Harry's venomous 2023 memoir Spare.
The last time the estranged siblings were together was for activities related to their grandmother's funeral.
Harry didn't even speak to his brother when he attended their father's coronation in May 2023. While William played a significant part in the pageantry, the duke was relegated to sitting three rows back and left the UK immediately upon the service ending.
