‘Meghan Markle DESPERATE for Royal Family Links’ | King Reunited With Prince Harry's Children

King Charles has officially met Meghan, Harry, Archie and Lily at Highgrove House, his Gloucestershire country residence.For a reaction, let's welcome a very good friend of mine, Talks Royal correspondent Rupert Bell.Good morning, Rupert.Good morning, Mark.Well, this is a big story and a big development.

Yeah, it is.At the heart of it, it's grandparents meets and reunited with his grandchildren.That's the initial thing that you have to look at, the human element of it.But of course, and we've discussed it, it's been a never -ending soap op. to get to this stage.Will Meghan come over?Where were they staying?

All that.Will she appear at any of the events that he was scheduled to go to?And then, of course, the court case, which went so horribly wrong for Harry, has added to the...And Meghan, as a result, probably deciding to keep a back seat on all things, including yesterday, where I have to say Harry looked as if he was enjoying himself with his game face on.He did a TV interview.Yes, it was obviously There was strictly off limits where they could or couldn't go, but it was still him.

doing what he does best.But where it goes from here, it's strictly private.Will it remain private?And that will be the acid test for the Sussexes and their relationship with the extended royal family.If they can keep all the details quiet, then that might be a step forward in the way that they conduct themselves and particularly relationships with the king and maybe even down the line with his brother.

Well, as always, Rupert, you have reached to the heart of the matter.This will be a private moment from the firm's point of view, but it might not be so private for Meghan and Harry.You just have to worry that this could be more material for another Netflix documentarya future book.

Well, yes, that you've always got that sort of hanging over the royal family's head, because if it was a frosty meeting, you don't know.Look, it was a lovely sunny day as it had been everywhere in the Cotswolds and his gardens are magnificent.So I hope the children have had a good chance to run around one of the best gardens in the country and have a normal family experience.I don't know whether they stayed, whether they went back.The feeling is they may be staying at Althorpe, but I'm speculating there.but also it throws into it, Meghan seems to be desperate to have the links with the royal family, even albeit in these private circumstances, but it shows that they've still got a bit of an olive branch and a bit of a way in to enhance their royal connections.

What about Thomas Markle?Does he not get a look in?If she's so keen, you know, Harry with his father recovering from cancer and still having treatment, you know, the other side, you know, repair the family connections.however hard it might be.And the Markle family is as dysfunctional at times, maybe even more so than our own royal family.So I think, you know, maybe it's time to take a long, hard look and say, well, perhaps from a PR perspective, we need to seal the deal everywhere.

But if you say, quite rightly, if there's anything leaks out, then I'm afraid that will not be a good look for the Sussexes.

I'm happy for the king that he gets to meet his grandchildren for the first time in four years, which is a very long time.And I'm also pleased for Archie and Lily to meet their grandfather, who just happens to be the king.So that's a blessing, and I think that's a positive story.And Rupert, I think you'll agree with me, I wouldn't be one to deny those kids to meet their grandfather.However, what sticks in the craw for me, Rupert, is what a public relations triumph this is for the Sussexes, a couple that have done so much damage to the royal family.

Well, I'm not sure...Am I being churlish?Well, no, I know where you're coming from, because obviously, as I say, It reestablishes their royal credentials, albeit they are no longer working royals.The fact is they can pop in and have tea.I hope they had Highgrove jam, which is far better than the Megan slop that she calls spread.So I've got to say it's what real produce tastes like from the Highgrove shop.

But the point is, I think it is not quite the PR success that they want it because they've been told it's private and private it shall remain and that will be the test.Now Megan, as I say, was expected to go to Invictus yesterday, the launch, but actually it was far better for it because everyone would have been focusing on her rather than Harry playing whatever sport it was with various service personnel promoting next year.We got a proper promotion of the Invictus Games.And Harry looked happy.And he does look happy in these circumstances, doing what he does best.And that's the frustration, because when he does this and goes well, you actually realize that Harry has made the biggest mistake of his life in going over to California, because he would have been able to carry on doing this without any problem.

The only problem was that his wife didn't really enjoy the lifestyle.

Rupert, you are so right.But back they go to the royal well.And it is significant, isn't it?It's a moment in this royal soap opera.that the Duchess of Sussex should be not just back on British soil, but on a royal property.That feels significant to me.

Yeah, and what are the security issues?Well, there would be none at Highgrove because around there, you've got, there's probably quite a security blanket and GCHQ's only just up the road, so you're pretty sure they know what's going on.Well, you hope they do.So from that point of view, with Highgrove, there's Gatcombe where Princess Royal lives, you know, the Tindalls are nearby, Peter Phillips, Martin, you know, there's a lot of royal family members in a pretty small space.They all like that part of southern Gloucestershire.No security issues.

So that's why the security is the ultimate red herring.It's blackmailing from the Sussexes to say, look, we don't feel safe.Well, this visit, obviously, they've been going around.There will have always been a level of security for the Sussexes.So that's why the security issue is a red herring and now needs to be, now she's back, She can't use that anymore as an excuse for coming to this country.

And Rupert, you are at full stretch at the moment because you are an elite level sporting broadcaster doing incredible work.with Talk Sport regarding the World Cup.You're also having to deal with Harry and Meghan's return to the United Kingdom and this reunion between Charles and the grandchildren.There's also the small matter of Harry having lost his legal action against the publishers of the Daily Mail.What a week!Well, what a weekend.

I'm going to the Open next week and I've been at Wimbledon the week before that, while keeping an eye on the World Cup and obviously tonight's a big night.And on Monday morning, I head to Birkdale in Lancashire to get a feel for Burnham's new, theland of mighty Burnham.So, anyway, I can't do politics.

Whatever they're paying you, it's not enough, by the way.

Well, I'm looking forward to the Open.And sunny Birkdale, great part of the country, so I'm looking forward to that.But, yes, the court case was the thing that probably stopped Meghan showing her head in public.

Which, by the way, I think is sad for Harry.I think, stand by your man, Rupert.

Well, absolutely, but she doesn't tend to...If the publicity's not good, she's the first, last person in the world who's going to put her head above the parapet to support him.She's always fawning how much he dotes on her and all this sort of stuff.But it tends to be quite often a bit one -way street as far as that's concerned.

Yes, and it could be a bit cultural, Rupert.Americans don't like losers.

There's an element of that.But I just think she doesn't.feel, well, yesterday would have been a perfect example to be relaxed in Harry's happy place.But no, she couldn't do it.But maybe she was preparing the children for this private visit to Highgrove in the morning.

Our happy place is Rupert Bell.Rupert, thank you so much for joining us.And good luck with your coverage of the big royal stories and, of course, all of the big sporting occasions that are playing out.Rupert Bell there.Doesn't get better than that.