King Charles reportedly hosted Meghan Markle, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet for the first time in four years.
Prince Harry believed the presence of his children could strengthen his case for publicly funded security in Britain, according to a royal commentator.
Writing in his Naughty But Nice Substack, Rob Shuter claimed that the Duke of Sussex saw Archie and Lilibet as his “final card” in the ongoing dispute.
“Harry genuinely believed the children would change everything,” an unnamed source told Shuter.
According to the insider, Harry believed government officials would not risk the public backlash that could follow if his children were denied the level of protection he had requested.
“He was convinced it would force RAVEC’s hand,” the source claimed.
However, Shuter said the strategy did not have the effect Harry had expected.
Another insider alleged that the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, known as RAVEC, was not influenced by public opinion or emotion.
“RAVEC wasn’t swayed by emotion or optics,” the source said.
“They followed the same procedures they always do. Harry expected the presence of his children to reshape the conversation. Instead, it changed nothing.”
The claims emerged after Harry and Meghan reportedly met King Charles on Friday with their children, Archie and Lilibet.
The meeting was said to be the first time in several years that the monarch had hosted the California-based couple and their children, amid efforts to ease tensions within the Royal Family.
Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and moved to the United States six years ago following a highly publicised rift with the monarchy.
The royal expert’s remarks come as Prince Harry continues his legal battle over security arrangements for himself and his family during visits to Britain.
