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As Prince Harry prepares for an upcoming trip to the U.K., royal watchers speculate about the possibility of a reconciliation between the Duke of Sussex and his father, King Charles III. However, Charles’ inability to get over the betrayal that Harry hid behind his children might prevent a joyous encounter.
Harry is set to attend the WellChild charity’s annual awards ceremony in London on Sept. 30, in his role as patron of the organization. This visit comes shortly after the royal family extended public birthday wishes to Harry on his 40th birthday, a gesture that raised eyebrows and sparked hope for improved relations.
The father-son relationship has been strained since Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down from their royal duties in 2020 (following a heartbreaking betrayal from the King and William). The couple’s decision to relocate to the United States and their subsequent public statements about their experiences within the royal family have created a rift that has been difficult to mend. Nevertheless, a recent event might be the bigger hurdle Prince Harry and Charles will have to overcome to put their differences aside.
King Charles III is still angry about how Prince Harry handled a birthday phone call
One incident that particularly affected King Charles was a phone call made by Prince Harry on the monarch’s 75th birthday in November 2023. The call was initially seen as a positive step towards reconciliation. Prince Harry wished his father a happy birthday and had his children, Archie and Lilibet, record a video singing “Happy Birthday” to their grandfather.
However, what could have been a private moment of family connection quickly turned sour. Within hours of the call, the interaction details were leaked to the media, reportedly from sources close to the Sussexes. According to royal editor Rebecca English, this breach of privacy deeply disappointed King Charles, who values the few genuinely private moments his public life affords him.
Despite his disappointment and anger, King Charles reportedly remains open to reconciliation with his son.
“Charles is angry, and he is hurt, but he is still his son at the end of the day, which is why it’s always been said that as much as he is keeping his distance at the moment, he will never entirely shut that door to him.”
However, the logistics of a potential meeting during Harry’s upcoming visit seem challenging. Just days before the WellChild Awards, King Charles and Queen Camilla are scheduled to attend the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh.
The King will likely remain in Scotland following his engagement, placing him hundreds of miles away from Harry’s London event. While there’s still time for plans to change, the current schedules suggest a face-to-face meeting between father and son is unlikely during this trip. That doesn’t bode well for Charles, who has recently been publicly accused of sending pretentious birthday wishes to his son.
If it’s all true and Harry’s actions were taken without informing Charles, then it paints the Duke in a very hypocritical light where his demand for privacy and his right to live his life without revealing everything to the paparazzi doesn’t extend to other people close to him.
With a little more than a week before Harry visits London, the clock is ticking for the father and son to decide whether they even want to mend their broken relationship. Meanwhile, we’ll be watching with bated breath.