I agree with both your takes @Osipi and @O-H Anglophile. None of what either of you are saying is in any way contradictory. Yes, we have to wait and see what actions King Charles III will actually take in regard to 'streamlining,' which can have a variety of interpretations. And he may see things differently once he's actually on the throne bearing the full weight of the crown, and all that entails.
No 'streamlining' measures are going to affect Prince Harry's importance to the crown, either now or in the immediate future.
And most definitely @Osipi, we can't be certain where the world is headed at this point. Surely Prince Charles and HM The Queen mindfully desire their young progeny to take tight and permanent hold of whatever happiness is possible for them in this uncertain day and age.
Re: Zara and Mike meeting Meghan...
The whirlwind of Harry's romance and Meghan's time actually being able to be in London coincided with Zara's miscarriage. For a lot of women, that's a time when you sort of hole up in your house and cry things out with your husband for a while. No matter how close you are to your cousin, it may not be the ideal time to meet his girlfriend over dinner or whatever.
Yes, in terms of the chronology of those circumstances, it's possible that Zara hasn't yet met her cousin Harry's girlfriend. On the other hand, Zara Phillips does not strike me as having a personality that would lead her to handle personal crises by long term 'holing up in her house and crying things out with her husband.' Of course losing a baby is a very devastating personal experience which every woman and her partner and family probably handle differently. Still, Zara strikes me as having an upbeat, no-nonsense personality that is quite similar to her mother's. Remember how Princess Anne once stared down the attempted kidnapper who was holding a gun to her face!
For all we know, Zara took some quiet time with her husband, perhaps also with her mother and her in-laws, and then put the devastation to rest in a personally redemptive way without having to resort to days of staying shut away in her room crying. Zara seems like a very extroverted doer and not someone who would keep herself locked in her bedroom for very long agonizing over what can't be changed. She also has a young daughter who must have been a source of great comfort during the immediate aftermath of the loss last December.
I am not intending to stray too far off-topic. I'm only suggesting that we don't know how soon Zara may have gotten back into visiting with close friends and family after her miscarriage. In terms of time frame, Zara could have already met Meghan this past March or April (maybe or maybe not). If so, perhaps Zara discussed the meeting with her husband Mike, who apparently hasn't yet met Meghan. Certainly, from his quoted comments, Mike seems eager to meet Meghan.
In the long run, none of this blather over 'who met whom when' matters in the least.
... I'm just saying that we tend talk a lot about it as though we know what's in store but we don't, really. It's the milestone events that speak volumes about what the family has decided the new pecking order to be...
I definitely agree that we speculate a lot about what we don't know and can't know for sure unless and until there is official confirmation. Still, as someone who enjoys following the royals, I believe there are signs, viable reports, and actual evidence of the serious nature of H&M's relationship. I try to take it all with a grain of salt and an overall sense of lightheartedness.
If they do announce an engagement and get married, there should be very happy and celebratory events in store. Even amidst all the terrible sadness and alarming gloom and doom going on in the world, I find the possibility of their apparent blossoming love and happiness to be something positive to contemplate. A genuine royal love story, especially between these two young and obviously caring and fun-loving individuals, I find uplifting, fresh, exciting, as well as old-fashioned, comforting and lovely to look forward to witnessing.
As far as that bit about pecking order, I have a feeling that such archaic rules regarding 'pecking order' are not uppermost in the minds of or daily concerns and aspirations of the younger royals. Issues of 'pecking order' do not seem to be a concern that motivates the younger royals to get up in the morning. I'm sure they all respect their status and the royal traditions that their grandmother represents and grew up bearing allegiance to, but I don't think Prince William nor Prince Harry who take the lead among the younger royals, feel the need to bend over backward in adherence to 'pecking order.' They probably poke fun at issues of 'pecking order,' while respecting and adhering to more revered royal traditions, royal duties, protocol, personal conduct, matters of state, etc. But neither William nor Harry apparently will allow any old-fashioned 'royal traditions' nor courtier interference to dictate their happiness and the choices that impact their intimate personal lives.
...if Harry does get married soon then we'll have a milestone to help us better understand where things stand for him.
There's every indication that Prince Harry's relationship with his current girlfriend, Meghan Markle, is quite serious.
That is also an entirely separate issue, despite any overlapping intersections with his public role in the royal family. If H&M's relationship was not serious, it would not have lasted as long as it has, nor would Harry have released his unprecedented statement to the press in November. It's the nature of Meghan's unique background and the fact that she's an American, to which we can attribute much of the extremes of public interest and some of the more OTT commentary on Internet sites. Of course the tabloid frenzy has always been a fact of life for the royals. But even the tabs and paps are acting a bit more crazier than usual, if that's possible.
I agree with @Osipi that things are progressing in ways we will never learn all the specific details about. The British royal family realize they are human like everyone else. At the same time, they have learned from experience how to accept and manage the burdens of royalty and the annoyances of living in a fishbowl. Their schedules are planned out probably two to three years in advance. There's no question that the principals involved in the drama we are googling and speculating about, know exactly what's going on. Prince Harry & his inner circle, in addition to Prince Charles and the Queen surely have some idea and understanding of the strategic planning necessary surrounding the increasing possibility of welcoming a new member into the royal family, particularly in this day and age of rampant social media and nonstop tabloid frenzy, and especially in the aftermath of the saga of Diana, Princess of Wales.