From the death of Queen Elizabeth II and the accession of Charles III to the throne, the dynamics within the British royal family have generated great media interest. The relationships between King Charles, his sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, have been particularly scrutinized. Charles, now king, finds himself in a delicate position trying to maintain the unity of the monarchy while managing ongoing family tensions. Prince William, heir to the throne, strongly supports his father and engages in his royal duties alongside his wife, Kate Middleton, who recently announced she has cancer.
On the other hand, Prince Harry, having renounced his royal duties and having settled in the United States with his wife Meghan Markle, has publicly expressed his differences with the royal family. Revelations in interviews and in the Netflix series Harry & Meghan exacerbated tensions, highlighting fractures within the family. Relations between Harry and William remain particularly tense, despite some attempts at reconciliation.
Prince Harry refused to meet the King and his brother William during his visit to London in early May
Prince Harry visited London for three days at the beginning of May, starting on Tuesday May 7, 2024. His express visit was intended to promote the Invictus Games, which are a self-created international multi-sport competition aimed at injured military personnel and veterans. This competition highlights their spirit of resilience and camaraderie through disciplines such as track and field, swimming, and wheelchair basketball. These games aim to raise awareness to the challenges these men face.
However, during this visit to London, Prince Harry didn’t see his father, King Charles III, nor his brother, Prince William. Indeed, the Duke of Sussex spoke at an event organized in Saint Paul’s Cathedral while at the same time, his father, King Charles III, was at a garden party at Buckingham Palace. According to the Telegraph, King Charles had all the same agreed to accommodate his son in a secret royal residence, as he has no base in the UK. The prince finally decided to stay in a London hotel, for security reasons.
The reasons why Prince Harry refused to see his father, King Charles III during his last visit to London
The real reason why Prince Harry allegedly refused to see his father, King Charles III and his brother, Prince William during his last visit to London is none other thana reason for schedules. Indeed, a spokesperson for the royal family announced that “Unfortunately this will not be possible due to of Her Majesty’s busy schedule. The Duke of course understands his father’s agenda, his commitments and his various other priorities, and hopes to see him soon.”.
Additionally, public interactions between the three men are rare, because of their disagreements. Prince Harry’s schedule was also very busy during these three days in London, given that he was also the surprise guest at a party organized by Scotty’s Little Soldiers, a charitable organisation which supports the bereaved children of military personnel.
The security arrangements requested by Prince Harry during his trip to London, during which he did not see his father, King Charles III
Prince Harry therefore refused to stay in one of the royal residences that King Charles III had proposed, because he considered it to be “a visible place with public entrances and exits and without police protection”although all royal residences have armed guards at entry and exit points.
photo credit: Shutterstock Prince Harry during his visit to St. Paul’s Cathedral.
According to the Telegraph, Prince Harry is in conflict with the Ministry of the Interior about security during his visits to the United Kingdom. During his February visit, he only had his own bodyguards. Now Prince William’s brother must notify the Metropolitan Police 28 days in advance if he wishes to come to the UK with security arrangements.
