In the end, was this really what Prince Harry wanted?
All the drama, the will-he/won't-he come, the will-the-kids-come/will-they-not confusion and chaos? Perhaps with hindsight, the Duke of Sussex may look back on his two-week visit to the UK and realise how catastrophically he got it wrong.
Then again, maybe not. It never quite ceases to amaze me how Harry's victim mentality ensures that it is ALWAYS someone else's fault.
It's the monarchy's fault, the men in grey suits' fault, his brother's fault, his stepmother's fault and even the British government's fault.
The blame is never his.
Eventually, he did manage to arrange that longed-for meeting between his father and his two children, Prince Archie, seven, and Princess Lilibet, five.
The audience - finally convened with King Charles and Queen Camilla at Highgrove, their private Gloucestershire residence - was, after all, supposed to be the whole point of his trip to the UK. The King had not seen his Sussex grandchildren for four years – and had only met Lili once.
But I always thought it was a little dangerous - and actually a bit disrespectful to military veterans - that Harry combined his working engagements with family ones.
He had arranged to visit Birmingham to fire the starter pistol on the one-year-to-go mark for the Invictus Games and to attend a summer party for the charity Scotty's Little Soldiers (which provides support for bereaved military children).
So far, so good. But the wheels started to come off even before Harry had set foot in the country.
The Sussexes briefed the press in June that they would come to the UK and bring their children to meet the King.
William and Harry’s relationship is far from thawing
Prince William was said to be unhappy - and I'm told made it clear that Harry and Meghan were not to be offered Windsor Castle, or indeed any royal accommodation in Windsor.
He did not want to run any risk of seeing his younger brother - or Meghan Markle - on his home turf. A brutal showdown (which is what it would surely be) between the warring brothers is something that William would want to avoid at all costs.
In fact, I'd go as far as to say that he'd snub Harry if he came anywhere near. My sources tell me that their relationship is far from thawing.
The King offered Harry somewhere at Buckingham Palace but the duke did not initially respond either way. What followed next suggested perhaps why he'd announced he was bringing his wife and children so publicly.
Harry had hoped to force the government (via the Home Office decision-making body RAVEC) to approve full royal-level protection for his family as he believes it's not safe for them to visit the UK without it.
Yet although the Sussexes would enjoy full royal protection when inside the palace, and they had already sent their itinerary to select journalists like me in the full knowledge that they did not have Metropolitan Police protection, when they were told they weren't going to get the security they wanted, all hell broke loose.
It was briefed that Prince Harry was 'devastated' and 'close to tears'.
Then he told his father he wouldn't stay at Buckingham Palace, only a couple of hours later to say, actually he did want to stay there - just 48 hours before he was due to arrive.
But by then it was too late.
The King put his foot down (and I was getting whiplash with all the about turns) and said no, he couldn't stay. Staff had to be given adequate notice to get rooms ready at the palace and there wasn't enough time.
Part of the problem was that Harry was about to get his judgement in his long court battle for unlawful information gathering against the Daily Mail.
The King no doubt wanted to avoid being dragged into Harry's railing against both the judge and the press once it was announced that he had lost on all counts.
His son has waged war against the pillars of our national life - the press, judiciary and government - not to mention his pot shots against the monarchy itself, from which he has to stand above the fray.
No wonder the King didn't want him to stay at 'Monarchy HQ' - after all, Buckingham Palace is not lastminute.com!
In the event, Harry did strike out of the capital, visiting Birmingham Children's Hospital on behalf of the WellChild charity. He and his family also squeezed in a visit to Althorp, where Princess Diana is buried.
'Harry blew it'
Back in London that same day, William and Kate were presenting their own picture-perfect family image at Wimbledon with children George and Charlotte.
But this visit to our shores and Harry's reaction to the judgement in the court case seems to reconfirm that he lives in a bubble where it is his way or the highway. And when opposition is encountered, it's like a toddler tantrum - toys thrown out of the pram.
Harry's apparent entitlement, lack of good judgement and eternal lashing out have perhaps destroyed his chances of fully rebuilding bridges with his family. Yes, he and Meghan were able to bring their children to meet their grandfather (who is still receiving cancer treatment, don't forget).
But as a future blueprint for calm, measured - and treasured - family time, Harry blew it.
This feature first appeared in Woman magazine. Subscribe now and get your first 6 issues for £1.