AWKWARD

Prince Harry Insists He Has Loads of ‘Amazing’ Friends and ‘No Interest’ in Returning to Royal Life

A new report is pushing back against rumors that Harry is lonely and friendless with details about how apparently robust his life is.

Prince Harry, who has been cast recently as lonely and friendless and so devoid of purpose that he wants to start working for the royal family again, actually has lots of “amazing” new friends and has “no interest” in taking up royal duties once more, a report has claimed.

The report Monday in the Daily Telegraph, citing sources in Harry’s camp, sought to rubbish claims in the Mail on Sunday that Harry was “turning away from all sorts of Hollywood publicists and is seeking counsel from his old friends and associates.”

Harry, who turns 40 this month, visited the U.K. last week for the funeral of his uncle, Robert Fellowes, who was married to Princess Diana’s elder sister, Jane.

Friends of the Spencers told The Daily Beast that Harry and William’s birth family are hopeful the brothers will reconcile and are doing what they can to bring such an eventuality about.

The Mail said that Harry had got back in touch with old friends recently, having cut many of them out of his life after marrying Meghan.

Some of those friends were said to have launched, “Operation Bring Harry In From The Cold.”

The notion of Harry as friendless has clearly stung the duke, whose circle told the Telegraph he has “amazing” new friends in California, where he moved with his wife after leaving the royal family.

Harry is no longer on speaking terms with Prince William, and the king is also avoiding taking his calls, reportedly because he fears Harry will try to lobby him to give him access to automatic police protection when in the U.K.

However friends of Princess Diana’s birth family, the Spencers, told The Daily Beast this weekend that Prince William agreeing to attend Robert Fellowes’ funeral service in the knowledge that Prince Harry would be there has “cast a glimmer of hope in an otherwise deeply depressing impasse.”

Another friend told The Daily Beast: “Behind the scenes, the Spencers have been working hard to get the brothers to reconcile. They understand William’s hurt at Harry’s betrayal, but they also understand Harry’s position because of the way Diana was treated by the Windsors.”

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Tom SykesEuropean Editor at Large

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