Meghan and Harry: Africa tour 'pivotal to exit' says expert

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.

A relationship expert has urged the Duchess of Sussex to step in to actively encourage her husband to heal his bond with Prince Charles, Prince William and his other relatives. In his interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Duke of Sussex laid out the bones of contention between him and his family after he quit royal life and moved abroad.

He said there was a “lot of hurt” between him and his father, whom he claimed stopped taking his calls after he stepped down from his role of senior royal.

Harry, 36, also spoke of tensions with the Duke of Cambridge, describing the once-strong brother relationship as “space”.

Meghan on the other hand has not spoken to her father in three years despite his repeated attempts to mend the bond by publicly apologising for his actions.

The former Hollywood lighting director admitted he had failed to be honest with Harry about posing for paparazzi photos which he staged in a bid to improve his image.

Jo Barnett, a UK-based relationship coach has said it would be in Meghan’s interests to encourage her husband to rebuild bridges with his family as an ongoing tensions could bleed into their marriage.

Ms Barnett told Express.co.uk: “I think it would be a positive step for her to encourage him to heal any rifts.

“I think that would serve them quite well because otherwise they’ll carry on being under scrutiny and that will put pressure on their relationship.

“No one wants bad publicity.

“I think they could have their cake and eat it if they can turn the relationships around and get some positive press.

“As a supportive wife I would encourage her to help him and push him towards healing any rifts and that’s another thing that will bring them closer rather than push them apart.”

The family troubles have blighted Harry and Meghan since before they tied the knot in a star-studded wedding in Windsor.

On Wednesday the pair celebrated their third wedding anniversary.

While Meghan – who has a good relationship with her mother Doria – appears to have not forgiven her father, Harry has shown promising signs of wanting to put the past behind him, Ms Barnett said.

DON’T MISS
Meghan and Harry praised over plans to build relief centre [REACTION]
Meghan and Harry sent very personal anniversary gift [REVEALED]
Royal LIVE: Palace accounts silent on Meghan and Harry anniversary [ANALYSIS]

She explained: “I think that Harry certainly has more to lose by not working on his relationships and I think he’s certainly more compelled to work on his family relationships.

“Meghan’s situation is very, very different. I don’t think we even no really what’s gone on there.”

Just a month after Harry went public with a series of shocking claims about his family, he was reunited with them at his grandfather’s funeral.

In his interview with Oprah, which aired in early March, the duke accused an unnamed member of the Royal Family of making racist comments about his son Archie before he was born.

He also claimed his grandmother the Queen has snubbed a request to meet with him after he and Meghan announced their decision to quit royal life in January 2020.

At the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral in April, Harry was seen chatting to Prince William and his sister-in-law Kate.

But royal sources suggested relations between Harry and his relatives has returned to what they once were.

Ms Barnett said the shared experience of navigating family problems may have helped Harry and Meghan find common ground in their first three years of marriage.

She explained: “They’re both experiencing challenges with family which hopefully means that you can have some empathy, some understanding of what someone’s going through because I think if one person’s got a very rosy, peachy family and the other one a very dysfunctional family there can be a lack of understanding.

“So they’re both on the same page really and they should both be able to support each other and hopefully maybe decide to work on the relationships respectfully, or not.

“The first three years are probably the most challenging because the honeymoon period is over and you’re finding out exactly who you’ve been ‘left with’, who you’re in a marriage with.

For some couples it can be make or break.”

To celebrate their milestone on Wednesday, Harry and Meghan announced a charitable project to help Covid-stricken India.

Source: Read Full Article