Queen Consort Camilla spat out her tea in shock when Prince Harry threw forward the idea of hiring a mediator to sit in on an 'awkward' family meeting, it has been claimed.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stopped off in Britain on their way to The Hague for the Invictus Games weeks before the death of the Queen.
Charles insisted on meeting Harry and Meghan before their audience with the ailing sovereign, according to new royal book The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth’s Legacy and the Future of the Crown by Katie Nichols.
It is claimed the Sussexes were late for the awkward chat and Charles had just 15 minutes with the jet-setting pair before they had to leave for the Royal Maundy Service at Windsor Castle.
While it is reported father and son "greeted each other warmly" there were still moments of tension which left the then- Duchess of Cornwall lost for words.
Camilla, who is now Queen Consort, was reportedly stunned when the Prince, 38, suggested an impartial third party be there to keep the peace, reports Vanity Fair in an extract from the royal expert's book.
“Harry went in with hugs and the best of intentions and said he wanted to clear the air,” a family friend said.
“He actually suggested that they use a mediator to try and sort things out, which had Charles somewhat bemused and Camilla spluttering into her tea.
"She told Harry it was ridiculous and that they were a family and would sort it out between themselves.”
It's believed William and Kate were on a skiing holiday with their children, and did not change their plans.
It comes as Prince Harry's upcoming memoir is still said to be a big concern at Buckingham Palace.
The Duke of Sussex has signed a four-book deal worth millions with Penguin Random House, with the first of these a tell-all memoir that was scheduled to go to press later this year.
Once the book is published, there will be no going back for Prince Harry, according to royal author Robert Jobson.
He wrote in The Sun : “Harry will no doubt be torn between wanting acceptance from his family and also the love of his wife. But he has now left himself in a Catch-22 situation.
"He has signed a four-book deal worth millions with Penguin Random House. He needs the money to fund his flash Californian lifestyle.
"Once that book, which is now written, hits bookshelves there will be no going back for Harry."
