King Charles and Prince Harry’s icy feud has shown no sign of thawing and as a special day family day approaches for Harry, it will highlight a ‘great loss’ for the monarch, according to royal expert Jennie Bond
Prince Harry’s bitter feud with his estranged father King Charles shows no sign of being resolved – and it’s having a heartbreaking knock-on effect. It means that Harry’s young children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet have barely got to know their grandfather Charles, who is still undergoing cancer treatment.
The monarch previously told friends he is not content with only seeing his youngest grandchildren on video calls after meeting Archie only a handful of times and Lilibet once. In the coming weeks, the Sussexes will celebrate a special day when Archie turns six on May 6 – but it’s unlikely that the youngster’s royal relatives will be on hand to celebrate with him.
And amid the feud, royal expert Jennie Bond believes it is still a “great sadness” for the King to be a stranger to his two grandchildren – as well as it seems these days to his youngest son, Harry. The former BBC royal correspondent told the Mirror : “He always loved Harry – he called him ‘darling boy’. And I’m sure he still does love Harry and would love even more to be able to spend time with Archie and Lilibet.
“Charles is a sentimental man and a doting grandfather to George, Charlotte and Louis. And I’m sure as his struggle with cancer continues, he thinks more about the great loss of not being able to spend time with Harry’s children.”
But it’s not just Charles who looks set to miss out, Harry’s estranged brother Prince William will also be distant. Harry and his older brother are not believed to have talked in years. And Jennie added: “I always imagined Harry and William remaining close and enjoying watching their children grow up together.
“And I guess there must be times when they both think the same. But there is absolutely no sign of the cousins ever getting to know one another.
“Harry probably has more time and reason than William to think about the rift that he has caused and I’m sure it is a great sadness to him. But he has chosen a different life in a different country, and that looks as if it is where he will stay.
“However, it would be very nice if the King, and William and Catherine, marked young Archie‘s sixth birthday in some way. After all, it’s not the poor little lad’s fault that all this has happened. So I hope that, either publicly or privately, they do at least send the little boy their good wishes.”
When it comes to Harry and his dad the King, their relationship too seems to be at a low ebb with their relationship described as “distant”. Harry’s calls and letters are said to have gone unanswered and the King is said to be keeping his distance to avoid being drawn into discussions about security, with his youngest son.
The security issue has long been considered to be a sticking point towards improving family relations between the Sussexes and the rest of the Royal Family, especially the King.
And Jennie explained: “Harry must realise by now that he has put his father in an extraordinarily difficult position – suing the King’s own government. And that makes life – or indeed any conversation at all with Harry – very difficult for Charles.
“I wonder whether Harry realised at the start of this case just how hard it would make any communication with his father. Once the appeal judges have handed down their verdict, it will presumably be time for all those concerned to reassess the situation and see whether family relations can be improved. Harry certainly hasn’t made things any easier by insisting on taking this court case to the highest level.”
