Senior aides scramble to tighten protocols as private royal details surface in press
Buckingham Palace is in crisis following a serious breach of confidentiality involving Harry and Meghan’s alleged roles in King Charles’s funeral arrangements. The leak has triggered a flurry of behind-the-scenes activity as top aides rush to control the damage and prevent further disclosures.
Three weeks ago, The Telegraph published a controversial report claiming the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to play central roles in the monarch’s future funeral plans, code-named “London Bridge.” The information, which appears to have come from inside the Palace, reportedly led to an immediate and sweeping effort to contain the situation, described by The Daily Beast as a “huge censorship operation.”
The King’s most senior aide, Tobyn Andreae, is said to have reacted with alarm, calling The Telegraph’s editors in a bid to delay the article. According to sources, Andreae believed the story was both “premature” and inappropriate, especially given the King’s current health status.
“These new details, including suggestions that Harry and Meghan would be invited to play key roles and that the mourning period might be shortened, were shared exclusively with The Telegraph,” a senior Fleet Street source said. “There was a clear attempt by the Palace’s communications team to intervene before publication.”
Despite those efforts, the article went live as planned. In response, Andreae reportedly warned other news outlets not to quote from the story or publish follow-up coverage, making it clear that the Palace would not cooperate with any reports speculating on “Bridges planning.”
Though he declined to confirm the accuracy of the original claims, Andreae firmly denied that any active planning was underway, emphasising that the King—who is receiving weekly cancer treatment—is currently in good health. In a series of WhatsApp messages seen by The Daily Beast, Andreae called the report “deeply distasteful” and “downright offensive.”
He added that, “no matter how ‘sensitively framed’ the article is,” the Palace would withhold cooperation from any publication that chose to engage in speculation about royal operations.
The fallout intensified when Andreae was seen meeting with key members of Harry’s UK team—including chief of staff Meredith Maines and spokesperson Liam Maguire—at a private club near Clarence House. While the gathering was likely related to the leak and its consequences, it has also reignited rumours of a potential reconciliation, given the ongoing estrangement between the King and his younger son.
With Harry expected to arrive in London this September, attention now turns to whether the Palace can contain the growing tensions—or if this latest breach will only deepen the divide.
