Upon hearing that insiders suggest Prince Harry is eager to visit his father’s private Sandringham estate with Meghan, Archie, and Lilibet this summer, if extended an invitation by the King, numerous questions naturally arise. This gesture seems aimed at mending the family divide.

My initial reaction is to wonder why Harry, if he truly desires ‘family time,’ doesn’t simply reach out to his father directly. Could it be that the Palace’s wariness towards him has grown so substantial that even a phone call is considered too risky, fearing it might be leaked?

As their ventures, reputation, and influence appear to falter in the United States, one must ask: what are the Sussexes truly seeking?

Although Meghan’s collaboration with Netflix has concluded, one might speculate if they intend to document their family interactions with a film crew in tow.

Undoubtedly, a web of emotions underlies these dynamics.

The King hasn’t seen his grandchildren, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, four, in four years. As he continues to confront cancer treatments, reflections on his legacy and mortality are likely weighing heavily on his mind.

The King is known to be a doting grandfather to William and Kate’s brood – George, Charlotte and Louis – and it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t want to see Archie and Lilibet face to face. He can be a big old softie when it comes to his family.

With their careers, credibility and collateral collapsing in the US, what are the Sussexes really after? asks Amanda Platell

The King is known to be a doting grandfather to William and Kate’s brood

One must also ask: why now for Harry’s plea? Is it to do with the state of the King’s health?

After all, it was Harry who, after his 50-minute visit to see his father over a cuppa in September, later told the BBC: ‘I don’t know how much longer my father has left.’

Harry must know that when the terrible day comes, and we lose our monarch, his brother, the new King William, will have no truck with him.

Perhaps I’m a cynic, or simply a seasoned observer. But seeing the way William turned his back on the former prince Andrew and his cling-on wife Fergie must have sent a shiver down the Sussexes’ spines. They must now surely realise a stubborn and, by all accounts, grudge-bearing William will never forgive his brother for his terrible betrayal.

As King, William will, according to some royal sources, have the power to strip the Sussexes and their children of all royal titles under the guise of his plans for a modern ‘slimline monarchy’.

Far easier, then, for Harry to heal the rift while his beloved, forgiving Pa is still alive.

When we finally lose him, I can already imagine a new book from Montecito: ‘The Spare’s Despair upon losing his beloved Pa.’

Then a Netflix series. ‘Harry & Meghan: Our last visit with the King of England’. I can see a script being developed as I write. Surely an advance for that would eclipse the $60million they got from their last five-year deal with the streaming platform.

The Sussexes must now surely realise a stubborn and, by all accounts, grudge-bearing William will never forgive his brother for his terrible betrayal, writes Amanda Platell

So imagine their disappointment when, after the weekend’s reports of Harry’s bid for a reconciliation, a source close to the King bluntly replied: ‘If Harry truly wishes to see his father, he would do well to encourage his supporters to allow such matters to be discussed privately, since low trust and bitter experience in this regard remains one of the principal barriers to progress.’

With no other welcoming words from the King, it’s looking a lot like a non-starter, especially if William and Kate have anything to do with it, since they spend much of their summer holidays with the kids at their Anmer Hall home on the Sandringham estate.

Although there’s one bit of solace for Harry – Uncle Andy is just down the road in his temporary Sandringham home, Wood Farm. I’m sure he’s desperate for visitors.