It's no secret that Prince Harry and King Charles are going through a rough patch. Harry's relationship with his father, brother Prince William, and Buckingham Palace in general has been tense at best ever since he and Meghan Markle decided to leave their royal duties and move to California, but their estrangement has only worsened with time. The two haven't had a conversation one-on-one since February of last year, and new reporting claims that things are so bad Charles won't answer Harry's calls or letters.
In fact, Charles appears to be avoiding his youngest son at all costs. Harry was in the UK just last week for a court appearance regarding his fight against RAVEC, the group responsible for allocating security, to ensure his family, including children Archie and Lilibet, receive state-backed security when in the UK. The King, however, scheduled a trip to Italy at the very same time—after Harry's court dates had been set.
A new report from People suggests that Charles is avoiding his son because he doesn't want to end up in the middle of the legal case, which Harry reportedly believes could be solved if his father simply requested his security be reinstated. “[The legal battle] puts Harry in direct contact with the people who are carrying out the King's orders,” royal author Sally Bedell Smith told People. “If his father was to say something even seemingly innocuous, it could end up landing in the middle of the court case.”
At this point, even if Charles and Harry could meet privately, it's hard to tell if anything constructive would come out of a meeting. Charles, who is currently undergoing cancer treatment, reportedly won't answer any of Harry's calls or letters and didn't even tell his son when he was hospitalised last month.
Speaking outside the courtroom last week, Harry hinted that discovery in his current court battle had revealed some distressing truths about his exit from the royal family and how the decision to strip his security was made.
Harry reportedly believes that cutting his security was an attempt by the Palace to get him and Meghan to remain as working royals. He told People that his “worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure in this case—and that's really sad.” Sources at Buckingham Palace deny that Charles had anything to do with it.
The appeals court is expected to return a judgment in a few weeks.
Olivia Truffaut-Wong is an editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers beauty, entertainment, and lifestyle. She loves finding and testing the best skincare products to recommend, like the best tinted sunscreens, and is always researching the best cat accessories for her fur baby. She has over 10 years of experience as an entertainment and culture writer and editor, and her work has been featured in The Cut, Refinery29, Teen Vogue, Polygon, Bustle, and more.
