- Vanity Fair published an excerpt from royal reporter Katie Nicholl's upcoming book "The New Royals."
- Nicholl wrote that Prince Harry suggested the family use a mediator to deal with their problems.
Prince Harry made attempts at reconciliation with the royal family, according to a new book from a royal expert.
On Thursday, Vanity Fair published an excerpt from Katie Nicholl's upcoming book about the royal family, "The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown."
In the excerpt, Nicholl shed light on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's current standing with the royal family.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's relationship with the royals has been strained since their step back from the royal family and subsequent move to California, and their 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey only intensified the rift between them.
In the interview, they said members of the royal family made racist remarks about Archie, disregarded Meghan's mental health and well-being, Kate Middleton made Meghan cry during the week of her wedding, and the king cut the couple off financially following their step back.
But according to Nicholl's new book, Harry worked to reconcile with his family in the spring of 2022, going as far as to suggest they hire a mediator to talk through their issues.
Harry and Meghan traveled to the UK in April while they were in Europe for the 2022 Invictus Games. During their visit, they spent time with the Queen, as well as King Charles III and Camilla, the Queen Consort.
"Harry went in with hugs and the best of intentions and said he wanted to clear the air," a friend of the royal family told Nicholl of the prince's approach to his meeting with his father and step-mother.
"He actually suggested that they use a mediator to try and sort things out, which had Charles somewhat bemused and Camilla spluttering into her tea," the friend went on to tell Nicholl.
"She told Harry it was ridiculous and that they were a family and would sort it out between themselves," the same friend said, according to Nicholl.
A few days later in an interview with "Today," Prince Harry said he wanted to ensure the Queen, who died on September 8, was "protected" and had "the right people around her."
Although Harry's attempt at reconciliation was not well-met, there have been signs that Harry and Meghan's relationship with the royal family may be improving in the wake of the Queen's death.
Two days after the Queen died, the new Prince of Wales invited Meghan and Harry to a walkabout with him and Kate Middleton, reuniting the "fab four" for the first time in years.
King Charles III also sent love to the couple in his first address as monarch, and he made an exception for Harry to wear his military regalia at a vigil for the Queen although he is no longer a working royal.
Meghan and Harry have now returned to California, so it's unclear when they will see the rest of the royal family again.
Nicholl's book will be released on October 4, 2022.