Topics: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, UK News, Royal Family
A conflict coach believes the Duke of Sussex has lost 'control' of his ongoing feud with the British Royal Family.
Speaking to the press this week, family dynamics mediator Julie Cobalt expressed her belief that Prince Harry has recently made a huge error in the midst of his familial estrangement and may have inadvertently burnt all of his bridges.
For those in need of a reminder, the 40-year-old has reportedly been at logger-heads with the monarchy since 2020, when he and wife Meghan Markle announced their resignation from royal duties.
After moving from the UK to Montecito, California in the months that followed, the couple revealed that the decision had been prompted by alleged mistreatment from both the British tabloid press and Harry's family.
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In several high-profile interviews, a bombshell memoir and a Netflix documentary, he accused his brother and sister-in-law, Prince William and Kate Middleton, of having bullied former Suits actress Meghan, 43.
The pair also accused Harry's stepmother, Queen Camilla, of selling stories to the paper and alleged that another lead royal had raised queries about the skin colour of their son, Prince Archie.
Despite the father-of-two telling the BBC earlier this month that he didn't want to see his family fighting anymore, and 'would love reconciliation with my family', he has only returned to the UK on numerous occasions in recent years, including a fleeting visit for King Charles' coronation.
As we say, however, amidst the 'many disagreements' Harry says his family have endured in recent years, the Prince is said to have made one vital mistake. According to conflict expert Julie Cobalt, he shouldn't have aired his dirty laundry quite so publicly.
"Publicly criticising your family, especially in a memoir, virtually guarantees defensiveness and further distance," she told HELLO! recently.
"It also strips you of control over how your message is received."
The trainer went on: "If Harry's goal was reconciliation, a better strategy would have been to work with a conflict coach or mediator.
"Reconnection requires honest conversation, not public narration."
Instead, Cobalt believes tensions would not have risen so high if the family had relied on the intervention of a third party.
"If your goal is healing, involving the public complicates the path," she explained. "You also risk misinterpretation.
"Photos, headlines, or quotes taken out of context can inflame things further."
And whilst she says the couple's 2021 interview with Oprah Winfrey might be considered their attempt to converse with an outside influence, the expert adds that the monarchy's inability to respond to their comments meant that no progress would be made.
"People often turn to a third party, whether it's a friend, neighbour, or social media, not just to vent but to be validated," the mediator explained.
"That validation can be emotionally rewarding, especially when it reinforces a sense of being wronged."
Cobalt added: "It's much easier to stay in the role of victim than to look inward and explore your own contribution to the problem.
"Public sharing can feel like control and clarity, but it often replaces resolution with reinforcement."
