Prince Harry’s Secret Weapon: The Unexpected Force Behind Royal Peace Talks

Is a royal family reunion on the horizon? It looks like something is in the works, at least according to The Mail on Sunday.

Last week, Prince Harry’s chief communications officer, Meredith Maines, emerged as his secret weapon after meeting with King Charles III’s communications secretary, Tobyn Andreae. The Sussexes’ PR representative in the U.K., Liam Maguire, was also present for the meeting at the Royal Over-Seas League in London, per the media outlet.

It was Maines who had the Duke of Sussex speak to the BBC in May, where Charles’ youngest son was very clear about being open to mending the palace rift. He told them that he “would love a reconciliation” with his dad and older brother, Prince William. Harry admitted that he was tired of fighting, and he worried about Charles’ health because he did “not know how much longer [his] father has.”

With the security issue still a sticking point, it seems that Maines might be paving the way for a reconciliation. A source for The Mail on Sunday believed that the meeting with royal reps was only “the first step towards reconciliation between Harry and his father, but at least it is a step in the right direction.

“Everyone just wants to move on and move forward now,” they added. “It was finally the right time for the two sides to talk.”

Maines, who began working with Harry and Meghan Markle in March of this year, has proven her worth on the Archewell and As Ever team. She’s had significant wins with the success of the Duchess of Sussex’s brand launch, along with her Netflix series, With Love, Meghan.

She shared her excitement about joining the stateside royals in a statement to Axios in late February. “I’m honored to partner with Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to highlight the amazing work they are doing through Archewell, their broader business portfolio, and nonprofit work,” Maines said. “I’m excited to help them tell their story as entrepreneurs, builders, and philanthropists, while overseeing all communications for the couple and their ventures.”

She has also been streamlining the couple’s business team, noting to People in June that Harry and Meghan had parted ways with four employees.

“As the Duke and Duchess’s business and philanthropic interests grow, I have made the strategic decision to move toward a more traditional communications structure of specialist agency support, as previously reported in Forbes and PR Week several weeks ago,” she said.

Maines continued, “Transitioning from a team of two to an agency support staff of eight, operating across five different time zones, will give international media and stakeholders better access, and critically, faster response times to inquiries.”

The PR specialist might be the key to Harry and Meghan finding their footing, not only professionally, but personally. If a royal family reunion comes to fruition, then Maines will have pulled off a palace miracle.

Click here to see a complete timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s feud with the royal family.