Royal courtiers say Harry ‘couldn’t fathom’ he was no longer able to ‘sweet talk’ the Queen

Palace courtiers have dismissed suggestions made by Prince Harry on Netflix that the Queen was influenced by her aides when deciding he was ‘out’ as a working royal.

Sources close to the Royal Family claim the Duke of Sussex, who has painted a picture of a passive Queen in his show, say he can’t fathom he was able to ‘sweet talk’ the late-monarch.

It relates to the so-called Sandringham summit in January 2020, a meeting called by Her Majesty to determine the future of Harry and Meghan as royals.

In the second half of his Netflix series, which was released last week, Harry said he was left ‘terrified’ when his brother William ‘screamed and shouted’ at him during the meeting.

He claimed that his grandmother, who was present, was sat  ‘quietly’ taking it all in while his father said things that ‘simply weren’t true’, before suggesting she was swayed by the opinions of others.

In the programme he said: ‘You have to understand that from a family’s perspective, especially from hers, there are ways of doing things and her ultimate mission, goal, slash responsibility is the institution. 

‘People around her are telling her that proposal or these two doing x, y or z is going to be seen as an attack on the institution, then she’s going to go on the advice she’s been given.’

But courtiers within the palace have cast doubt on his version of events, with those close to the situation Her Majesty was strong and sharp enough to make the decision herself.

One told the Times: ‘It’s outrageous. Harry never wanted to admit to himself that it was the Queen who said, “no, you’re out”. 

‘He couldn’t fathom that he wasn’t the cheeky chappy who was going to sweet-talk grandma into getting what he wanted.’

Another source told the publication the Duke of Sussex had ‘shifted’ the narrative about his grandmother.

‘It was always “my commander-in-chief, the boss”,’ they said. 

‘But when he was not getting the support from her he wanted, she is represented as a diminutive figure sat in the corner.

‘That is another manipulation of the narrative to suit the outcome as felt by Harry. 

‘Advisers made recommendations to Her Majesty, but there was only one person making the decisions. 

‘To look the truth squarely in the eye, to realise your relationship has been damaged and to know it was his commander-in-chief who decided he couldn’t have the half-in, half-out role he wanted, is probably too painful for him to accept.’

It comes as it emerged Harry and Meghan want  ‘want their own apology’ after Lady Susan Hussey met with black charity boss Ngozi Fulani for ‘reconciliation’ talks at Buckingham Palace this week, it has emerged.

The 83-year-old, who served the late Queen for six decades, stepped down from her honorary role ‘with immediate effect’ amid a furious outcry after Miss Fulani tweeted how she repeatedly asked her ‘where do you really come from?’ at a royal reception last month.

The scandal prompted an intervention from Prince William, with his office criticising his godmother’s ‘unacceptable comments’ and saying ‘racism has no place in our society’.

Lady Susan apologised in person to Miss Fulani on Thursday, which she accepted before an agreed statement said both wanted to ‘rebuild their lives in peace’ following the ‘distressing’ ordeal.

But it seems the saga has left Harry and Meghan miffed, as the Sussexes are now reportedly demanding a ‘sit down with the royal family’ to address their own ‘issues’ – many of which were aired in their six-part bombshell Netflix documentary this week, seen by many as an unprecedented attack on the Firm.

Sources told the Sunday Times that they feel the Royal Family has double standards by publicly apologising to Miss Fulani and not to them.

One told the paper: ‘Nothing like that was ever done when Harry and Meghan raised various concerns — no meeting, formal apology or taking responsibility or accountability. That is hard to swallow — 100 per cent yes they’d like to have a meeting.’

The Sussexes are said to be asking to meet before King Charles’ coronation in May, which they are set to attend.

A senior palace source added: ‘If they want to get in touch with the King, they know where he lives.’

It comes just weeks before the release of Harry’s tell-all autobiography Spare, which is expected to contain claims even more incendiary than those in the Netflix documentary.

Harry also said it was ‘heartbreaking’ to see his brother’s communications office ‘copy’ the behaviour of their father’s by ‘trading’ stories with the press.

But according to friends, the Prince of Wales will be a hard sell, with one saying things between him and his brother have been ‘very strained for a while’, while another added: ”There is sadness at where things currently are with his brother… and there’s a memoir coming.’

According to the Sunday Times, the Palace has no plans to meet with the Sussexes and will not be making a comment on their Netflix series.

Commenting on Harry’s pending memoir, one courtier told the paper: ‘That is Harry’s decision – he’s taking one decision, we’re taking another.’

Another said the family were deliberately remaining silent ‘to send a message by being voiceless’ as their ‘duty is to get on with the job.’

A friend of the royal family added: ‘They are right to rise above it and concentrate on demonstrating that service and duty matter. Let the trivialities, pettiness and contradictions speak for themselves.’

In a blistering attack on the Sussexes, a friend of the King branded their Netflix series a ‘disgraceful betrayal of trust’ and an ‘unwelcome distraction in the short term and very hurtful to the family.’

They said that most people will ‘see it for what it is – self-indulgent, one-sided and exploitative.’

They added: ‘William must be furious and the King will be devastated, but they will crack on, showing on a weekly basis what the job entails and the value it brings — Harry and Meghan can’t. Any chance of reconciliation is much harder now.’

Elsewhere, claims made in the series that the Royal Family were ‘upset’ at being ‘upstaged’ by Meghan have been firmly by rejected by palace sources.

Harry had suggested that Meghan’s widespread press coverage and attention had made other royals jealous.

One told the Sunday Telegraph the Firm were more than used to new and younger royals receiving more of the limelight.

‘When it was a group of family event, every single person expected Meghan or Kate to be the lead shot in the papers,’ one told the paper, ‘they’ve seen it happen over generations.’

Another said: ‘To suggest that they would be surprised or frustrated is to fundamentally misconstrue that the institution understands how the media works.’

The airing of so much deeply personal family drama by the Sussexes may have actually backfired, with royal sources believing they may have ‘overplayed their hand quite badly.’

One source told the Times : ‘They’ve fired all their ammunition and keep shooting the same bullets. Their business model must rely on them making money from something, what will it be if not to rely on this narrative of victimhood?’

Meanwhile, a friend of Harry and Meghan said Harry’s book Spare will be their last tell-all moment. They said the couple will ‘focus on their service work’ following its release and that they are ‘looking forward to people being interested in what they’re doing beyond all the drama.’