Prince Harry's meeting with King Charles 'lasted only minutes' as he hopes for reconciliation
Harry flew over to the UK last February
Prince Harry recently said he wanted reconciliation with his family, including his father King Charles.
In his latest interview with BBC News on May 2, the Duke of Sussex openly admitted that he no longer has contact with his father, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, despite longing for reconciliation.
“I would love reconciliation with my family. There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” Harry said to the BBC. “Life is precious. I don’t know how much longer my father has.”
This public plea comes amid ongoing tensions that have simmered for years following Harry and wife Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from royal duties in 2020, their subsequent interviews and the release of Harry’s 2023 memoir Spare.
Does King Charles want to reconcile with Harry?
It remains unclear if King Charles wants to reconcile with his youngest son. Some reports claim that he’s closed the door on a possible reconciliation.
However, it’s also been suggested that he still might want to mend relations with Harry.
Harry and Charles’ last in-person meeting lasted just minutes
Following the king’s cancer diagnosis in February 2024, Harry flew to London alone to see his father.
At the time, reports claimed that the meeting lasted around 30 to 45 minutes.
But according to royal commentator Lady Colin Campbell, the meeting was even shorter than that.
“My understanding is actually the meeting lasted exactly 12 minutes, not 30 minutes or 45 minutes,” she claimed to GB News. “Harry took it upon himself, without an invitation, to get on a plane, fly over and inform the king’s office that he was arriving.”
Why won’t King Charles speak to Harry?
Harry believes the ongoing dispute over his security arrangements may be the root of the silence.
“He won’t speak to me because of this security stuff,” Harry told the BBC. “But it would be nice to reconcile.”
He added that the matter “could be resolved” by the king, saying: “There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands. Ultimately, this whole thing could be resolved through him.”
However, the palace has consistently maintained that the king does not have the authority to reinstate Harry’s taxpayer-funded police protection.
Meanwhile, a palace source told The Sunday Telegraph that “there is nothing that can be trusted to remain private”.
“For a son who claims to want a family reconciliation, it’s certainly a very curious way to build bridges or offer olive branches,” another royal insider told ITV News. “His beloved grandmother would have been truly horrified. The king is a kind man with a warm heart and quite enough on his plate to deal with, without all this from his son.”
Prince William’s response has been even colder, apparently. He reportedly refused to see Harry during the February 2024 visit or on any of his trips to the UK since.
Royal expert Jennie Bond told OK! that William has “moved on with his life” and has “to all intents and purposes, disowned the brother to whom he was once so close”.
“William’s head and heart must be bursting with all that he has on his plate right now. His wife’s cancer treatment, his father’s illness, his children growing up fast, the pressure for him to take on more royal duties,” Jennie explained. “Dealing with ‘the Harry problem’ is probably just one step too far for William.”
Read more: How Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s kiss in public nudged duchess to change her public persona
So, what do you think? Do you think the king should forgive Harry? Leave us a comment on our Facebook page.
