There was barely a dry eye in the house last week as King Charles announced he would be reducing his cancer treatments almost two years after his diagnosis.
In a recorded video, broadcast for the Stand Up To Cancer campaign, the monarch, 77, told viewers, “This milestone is both a personal blessing and a testimony to the remarkable advances that have been made in cancer care.”
CHRISTMAS MIRACLE
Sources confirm his doctors’ verdict has given the King a “new lease on life” – and a renewed desire to finally bridge the gap between him and his youngest son, Prince Harry, 41.
“It may not be a coincidence that Harry got his breakthrough with the Home Office around the same time Charles was told his own good news,” says an insider. “Charles has been re-energised by his doctor’s report. All of a sudden, so many plans he had on hold are now back into play and he’s determined to bring his son home, with or without Meghan.”
Palace sources reveal that Charles has already reached out privately to Harry and Meghan, 44, with a Sussex insider adding, “He extended an olive branch for a potential Christmas visit to Sandringham and Harry’s seriously considering it. It’s a chance to test the waters for a future UK return and hopefully smooth over a few feathers.”
Boosted by the Home Office decision to review his security arrangements, the insider says, “Harry’s very hopeful about bringing Meghan, Archie and Lilibet over – and with their safety concerns now out of the way, Christmas at Sandringham is not an impossibility.”
However not everyone is comfortable about the King’s decision to invite the Sussex clan to Norfolk and the biggest hurdles for Harry and Meghan to overcome are the Prince and Princess of Wales, both 43.
“William and Kate are fully supportive of whatever the King wants in his twilight years,” says a Wales insider. “But the possibility of facing Harry and Meghan at the Christmas table is enough to have them preparing for ‘battle’. Their main goal is protecting their kids and their legacy but Kate’s not going to be blindsided by Meghan and her games.
“She knows Meghan will be doing everything she can to provoke a controversy and she’s not going to bite. Besides, she has other plans in mind to keep Meghan on her toes.
“The fact Meghan couldn’t speak to or see her dad in hospital shows how paranoid her world is – and Kate’s convinced that’s going to be her Achilles heel.”
FESTIVE EXILE
Meghan and Harry’s impending arrival isn’t the only headache the royals are dealing with – princesses Beatrice and Eugenie have been forced to choose between spending Christmas with their disgraced parents or the royal family.
“It’s been by far probably their worst Christmas ever. Beatrice and Eugenie are being pulled in two different directions – and it’s deeply distressing with so many family events going on. Eugenie is even considering spending the holidays in Portugal to avoid the drama.
“Not inviting Sarah and Andrew to Christmas has been extremely difficult for Charles but he also knows that if William is forced to face Andrew and Harry, it would likely spark a showdown over the Christmas turkey!”
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