Prince Harry has been caught out once again (Image: Getty)

As if he needed another reminder, Prince Harry has just learnt once again that the House of Windsor will always win. They will win in the court of public opinion, they will win over the Sussexes’ shadow PR machine, and, crucially, they will win over petty disputes no matter how many statements his spokesperson is authorised to make.

The uniquely personal updates dispatched with alarming alacrity from the Sussex camp may paint Harry as the victim of a cold-hearted family that he has spent the last six years telling us he has always been, but it just doesn’t matter.

Ever since he first threw his family under the bus, and every single time since, Harry continues to forget three crucial things: the Palace does not engage in drama, they do not respond when fringe members of the Firm are throwing their toys out of the pram, and they don’t need to have the last word.

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The back and forth of Prince Harry’s UK return is just exhausting (Image: Getty)

The Palace doesn’t need to issue frantic counter-statements or engage in undignified mud-slinging or bickering because when they make the rare choice to respond, that action alone speaks volumes.

Even when she was in the eye of the storm and criticised endlessly during those dark days of the summer of 1997, Queen Elizabeth II’s simple appearance in front of Buckingham Palace and a heartfelt – but altogether stern – television address to remind us that she is a grandmother, as well as Queen, saw her popularity shoot right back up, and rightfully so.

The issue we have here is that the constant back and forth from Team Sussex, the tit for tat and the deeply defensive responses erode their status and make them appear less like the ‘shadow court’ of the King’s second son, and more like a toddler throwing a temper tantrum.

The problem is, though, that responding quickly and without much thought as to the consequences has always been Harry’s Achilles heel. He did the same when his relationship with Meghan became public knowledge, as he condemned the “wave of abuse and harassment”.

It has widely been suggested that the incident ignited the rift between Prince Harry and Prince William after Harry asked his father or brother to intervene, and they refused, leading him to directly ask Kensington Palace communications to issue the fiery statement.

Of course, it would have been great for this trip to be the ultimate show of happy families, but the mess that has been whipped up before he’s even arrived has ensured that the focus is on that, rather than the good work Harry has achieved with the Invictus Games. It could all turn around, but, as you might have guessed, the flurry of statements has been issued at such a pace that the result is nothing but confusion.

We know Meghan, Archie and Lilibet are not coming to London after their security request was rejected, but will Meghan make an appearance in Birmingham? Who knows. Will we hear that Harry has taken his family to see Diana, Princess of Wales’ grave in Northamptonshire? Who knows. And, will we hear that King Charles has had the long-awaited reunion with his two youngest grandchildren? Who knows. We can only hope he gets it.

The real tragedy is that Harry has spent years fighting for control of his narrative, yet he remains completely blind to how he is being outplayed. The institution has marched on without him; it does not collapse under the weight of his attacks, and it will not engage in a bitter war of words. Will Harry ever learn? We can only hope so.