Can Prince Harry and Meghan Markle heal their fractured family?

There’s barely a day that goes by when Prince Harry and Meghan Markle aren’t headline news – but this week is set to be their most controversial yet.

Following their Valentine’s Day announcement that they’re expecting their second child, their appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show is due to air later this week – with predictions that it could rock the Royal family.

In the run-up to the spectacle, there was yet another bombshell for the Palace when Harry appeared on British comedian James Corden’s The Late Late Show in the US, insisting that he and Meghan had not “walked away” from royal life – even claiming that royal TV drama The Crown was “loosely based on truth”.

He added that he’s had to leave London for the sake of his mental health, claiming, “I did what any father or husband would do and thought, ‘How do I get my family out of here?’” And he revealed insights into their private life, saying a usual night in was “making Archie’s tea, bathing him and reading him a book” before the couple enjoy quality time.

He even cracked jokes and rapped the theme tune to TV hit The Fresh Prince Of Bel Air as he and James toured the mansion from the show. It’s believed it was recorded before the Queen – who last week met NHS officials via a Zoom call to encourage the public to get the coronavirus vaccination – recently stripped them both of their royal titles after they officially resigned from their duties.

Following an official statement from a Palace spokesperson that the couple “cannot continue with the responsibilities and duties that come with a life of public service”, the Sussexes had released their own inflammatory response, writing, “We can all live a life of service. Service is universal.”

However, royal expert Katie Nicholl tells Closer that she believes Harry, 36, and Meghan, 39, won’t want to further rock the boat with their upcoming TV appearance. Speaking before Harry’s interview with Corden – where he spoke of his Zoom calls with the Queen and how she had bought Archie a waffle maker for Christmas – Katie said, “Harry is still close to the Queen and speaks with her regularly, but the Royal family will no doubt be anxious about the interview. I think Harry and Meghan will simply talk about their new life, their philanthropic work, and the pregnancy.”

Check out: 9 Times Meghan Markle Dressed Like Princess Diana

Katie reveals how Harry’s family will be feeling torn, too. She says, “The pregnancy announcement will be bittersweet for the Royals – while the Queen and Philip will be overjoyed at another great grandchild, it’ll be hard as they likely won’t see much of them if their relationship with Archie is anything to go by.”

That feeling of sadness over their broken family is something that is shared by Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, who has sparked controversy in the past by being highly critical of her estranged sibling.

Relations between the sisters has been severed since 2008, but Samantha, 56, has openly criticized the former actress, controversially accusing her of being a “shallow social climber”, and shockingly claiming she “doesn’t have a heart”.

Just two years ago, she wrote pointed tweets about the couple, claiming, “Harry is a wuss to allow the Duchess of Nonsense to mistreat everyone who has been close to her, especially her family. Diana would be ashamed!”

WATCH: Love Island’s Anna Vakili reveals she didn’t like Amber Gill | My First Times

READ MORE

Paul Burrell: 'Diana's love will heal the hurt around Meghan and Harry'

Wayne Lineker shares photo of secret ‘twin’

Kate Ferdinand hits back at claims she 'loves Cree more than her other kids'

Their father, Thomas Markle, 76, is at the centre of their rift. He went from father of the bride to outcast and did not attend the royal wedding after posing for paparazzi pictures, which it later transpired Samantha had set up. He also spoke about Meghan in several interviews and allowed a newspaper to publish excerpts of a private letter she had sent to him. The latter saw the pair battle it out in court, with Meghan winning on privacy grounds.

Now, in a new book released by Samantha – The Diary of Princess Pushy’s Sister – she claims to aim to set the record straight. Surprisingly, after 13 years of bitterness, Samantha appears to offer an olive branch to Meghan as she reveals in Closer’s exclusive interview the sadness she feels over their fractured family, and how she believes Meghan’s “fairy tale” life could be fuller if she could speak to her family.

For the first time, Samantha opens up about the sad broken relationships between the Markles and how the real loss will be for Archie and his new sibling…