Prince Harry’s visit to the U.K. has come and gone and he didn’t get a chance to meet with his father, King Charles III. While the monarch’s schedule did not allow for the two family members to meet, there is one important invitation the Duke of Sussex received, but reportedly declined.
Charles agreed to let Harry stay at a “royal residence” during his trip to London after being evicted from Frogmore Cottage last year, per The Sunday Times. Pals of the king shared the information with the British media outlet after it was reported that Harry opted for a hotel stay during his three-day trip. They noted that Charles was “mindful that his younger son no longer has an official UK residence” and that a stay in a royal property “would have made visiting his father logistically easier” due to his busy schedule. It’s a subtle way to blame Harry for not seeing his dad during his latest trip.
Prince Harry’s friends seemed shocked that a father-son meeting didn’t happen, and the snub left the Duke of Sussex “deeply stung.” “It surprises me a lot. I was fully expecting them to meet. I know that’s what he wanted to happen, and I don’t know when he’s next back,” a Sussex insider shared. There seem to be two very different interpretations of why Charles didn’t see his son on this visit, but both sides seem perplexed.
“While he was hardly going to roll out the red carpet the moment this Invictus trip was announced, with doctors advising him to focus on his treatment and recovery, the idea that he refused to find space in his diary … well, let’s say recollections may vary once again,” a Charles pal claimed. On the flip side, Harry’s friend added, “I can’t imagine that request [from Harry to Charles] fell through the gaps. Even if they didn’t get a request, which I don’t believe, could His Majesty not have made a request to see his son? It was widely known he was coming.”
It feels like King Charles has punished Harry enough and his son is genuinely trying to make amends. It’s hard not to think that the positive PR Harry received around the Invictus Games’ 10th anniversary celebration and his subsequent trip to Nigeria with Meghan Markle might be the real issue. With royal experts now pointing out the Sussexes’ global popularity, the palace might just feel slightly threatened amid their current crises.
Click here to see a complete timeline of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s feud with the royal family.
