Prince Charles was not interested in the "media circus" and "PR opportunities" surrounding his meeting with Prince Harry, claims royal biographer.
Let's not forget that while many of us follow the royal family relentlessly (and are guilty of this), we don't know them and know only part of the whole story. After all, the saying goes, "There are three sides to every story." And while we turn to our trusted royal commentators for insight, only those involved really know what is going on - something to keep in mind as we unravel what seems to be a rather devastating setback in the parent-child relationship of Prince Charles and Prince Harry.
For those of you who missed this week's drama, here's a quick recap. Harry's spokesman confirmed earlier this week that although Harry was in the UK briefly to celebrate 10 years since the founding of the Invictus Games, his father the King did not have time to meet Harry. On the same day, Prince Charles appointed Harry's brother, Prince William, as regimental commander of the Army Air Corps in which Harry served in Afghanistan. The reason is that this position would likely have gone to Harry had he remained an active royal. However, the timing of the day Harry flew out to England was very suspicious, and Harry reportedly wept at the news.
Last night, when Harry attended the Invictus Games' Thanksgiving party at St. Paul's Cathedral, his father was attending a garden party at Buckingham Palace a few miles away, along with other current royals. Despite the fact that it was an important night for Harry and the Invictus Games, none of the royal family showed up to support the event. (Relations between not only Prince Charles and Harry, but also between Harry and William and Harry and Queen Camilla have cooled. ) "The royal family must not be too happy because we are so exhausted.
Royal biographer Robert Jobson told The Sun: "People think that if Harry goes out on the town, there will be some sort of reconciliation. But you will find that there is a lot of water under the bridge and a lot of trust has been eroded." Rebuilding trust takes time.
The visit was the first in three months for Harry, who returned to his native country in February after Prince Charles announced his cancer diagnosis on February 5. Jobson said, "Harry practically volunteered to come and see his father when he told us he had been diagnosed with cancer. Many would think that was a good thing. But at the time, I think the King did not want the media circus that accompanied Harry's arrival."
Ingrid Sward, another royal biographer (and editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine), echoed similar sentiments, saying that Prince Charles was "alienated" by Harry for fear of being used as a tool to enhance his image. 'He's Harry's father,' he said. 'When they meet, they will look fabulous. He probably doesn't want to be used as a PR opportunity. Or maybe Harry is a difficult person, we'll never know."
That's it. The feud has become so ubiquitous in the news and culture that even the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, spoke about the father-son feud on ITV's "Good Morning Britain" this morning.
"We shouldn't judge them. 'They are human beings. We should not judge them. They need to be prayed for and supported. "
The archbishop has long had a close relationship with the royal family, including playing a key role in the coronation of Prince Charles, who married Harry and Meghan six years ago this month and just celebrated their first anniversary on May 6. Regarding the health of Prince Charles, who is battling cancer as mentioned above, and the Crown Princess, who is also undergoing treatment for cancer, Welby encouraged people to "pray" for the royal family. He said, "If you are a person who doesn't pray, pray for them.
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