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The royal family feud appears to be worsening as yet another olive branch has gone up in smoke. According to sources close to the situation, Princess Beatrice has decided to remove herself from any potential reconciliation efforts between Prince Harry, his brother Prince William, and their father King Charles III.
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Beatrice, who is Harry's cousin, was seen by some as a possible mediator who could help mend the deep rifts that have developed since Harry and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal duties in 2020 and moved to the United States. As someone who is close with both Harry and the rest of the family, it was thought Beatrice could play a role in bringing some calm to the ongoing palace drama.
However, it seems Meghan and Harry's consistent attacks on the royal family in the media have soured even Beatrice on getting involved. Insiders allege the final straw came when Meghan attempted to use Beatrice as part of one of her notorious publicity stunts, opening Beatrice's eyes to the realization that - in Meghan's world - there are no true allies, only pawns to manipulate for maximum attention.
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According to sources, Meghan had hoped to turn Beatrice into a spy of sorts, secretly transmitting palace intel back to the Sussexes. While this sounds dangerously close to the plot of a B-rated spy film, the implications are clearly serious - that Meghan was actively trying to turn family members against one another for her own ends. Unsurprisingly, Beatrice reportedly wants no part of such toxic schemes and gossip.
The frustration felt by Beatrice and likely other senior royals stems from the fact that Harry and Meghan's actions do not match their stated desire for privacy. Despite complaining endlessly about media intrusion, the Sussexes happily dish private family details for sympathetic journalists and in their lucrative Netflix and Spotify deals.
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Their recent appearances at events like the Invictus Games show a willingness to selectively engage with the press when it suits them. But they remain unwilling or unable to simply sit down with Harry's family, behind closed doors, to resolve tensions face-to-face - instead using the media as proxies to escalate disputes.
At this point, it seems no other family member is willing to stick their neck out to play mediator. King Charles is said to be wary after his attempts at outreach were rebuffed, and Prince William is firmly standing by his wife Kate, who reportedly sees Meghan as antagonistic.
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Without Beatrice as a possible go-between, it's hard to imagine how any genuine reconciliation can take place. Harry burned his last bridge home when he failed to properly visit his gravely ill father during a brief trip to England this year, heightening bad feelings all around.
Sources say Beatrice now understands that Meghan will always put herself and her agenda above the well-being of the family as a whole. No one wants to get dragged into the perpetual PR game the Sussexes seem committed to playing.
Going forward, it's difficult to see how trust can be rebuilt from such a place of estrangement and hostility. All sides now seem unwilling to make the compromises needed - Harry may have permanently damaged his lifelong bonds due to spousal influence and a misguided instinct for grievance-mongering.
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While headlines will likely continue to be generated from random anecdotes and strategically-timed “friend of...” quotes given to pliant journalists, the family split itself looks irrevocable at this point. The Windsors may be permanently broken into three feuding camps - the working royals centered on William and Kate, the exiled Sussexes, and the rest trying to avoid taking sides.
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It's a tragedy for the monarchy as an institution, as their internal divisions now play out endlessly in the public sphere. Losing Beatrice as an intermediary only entrenches the schism further, leaving little hope that warmer family ties can be restored anytime soon, if ever. For devoted royalists on either side, it's certainly a dispiriting state of affairs with no end in sight.
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