The Royal Family has endured a tumultuous few years, with the deaths of Prince Philip and Queen Elizabeth II, and both King Charles and Catherine, Princess of Wales, facing cancer.
Another blow to the family came in 2020, when Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle decided to step away from their roles as royals.
Since the move, which saw the Sussexes move across the world to California, Prince Harry’s relationship with his father is believed to have become somewhat rocky.
Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, as Charles became monarch and William became Prince of Wales, many royal experts have been speculating that the father-son bond has become closer than ever.
Harry’s decision to leave The Firm has certainly led to a strained relationship with the King.
Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince William, Prince Harry and the then Prince Charles on holiday in the Isles of Scilly in 1989
Then-Prince Charles poses for photographs with Prince Harry and Prince William during the Royal Family’s ski holiday in Klosters in 2005.
This got worse after he and Meghan were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey.
During the talk, which aired while Prince Philip was extremely ill, Harry and his wife made a series of claims against the monarchy and members of the family.
Among them, they accused anonymous members of showing concern about the skin color their son Archie may have. It is unknown when exactly this conversation took place, with Harry saying it was at the beginning of the relationship and Meghan saying it was after they were married and she was pregnant.
While Harry later said he does not believe the Royal Family is racist, but instead has unconscious bias, the claims affected family relationships.
The Duke of Sussex’s bond with his father was further strained when he published his memoirs Spare in January 2023.
In the book, Harry claimed that William had physically attacked him and that Charles was jealous of Meghan, fearing that she had the potential to “dominate the monarchy.”
Claiming that his father had said he could not afford to support the Sussexes, the memoir said: “Dad might have feared the rising cost of supporting us, but what he really couldn’t bear was someone new dominating the monarchy, hoarding the center of attention”. , someone new and shiny who comes along and eclipses him.’
She also wrote about her father’s relationship with now-Queen Camilla, describing it as “a prospect I didn’t like”, and adding that he and Prince William had “begged” him not to marry her.
King Charles, pictured with Prince William last month, has reportedly grown closer to his eldest son in recent times.
Another claim Harry made against Camilla in the book was that she “sacrificed” him to improve her own public image.
While doing an interview to promote his memoirs, the Prince admitted that he hadn’t spoken to his father for “quite a while.”
According to royal author Tom Quinn, after the book was published, the king told his son to stop divulging family information.
“Harry has been directly asked by his father not to write or say publicly anything else about the family or his brother that could cause problems,” he told the newspaper. Mirror.
“And everyone knows that when a King asks you to do something, there will be consequences if you don’t obey him.”
Following the publication of Spare, Harry made a solo trip to the United Kingdom for his father’s coronation in May.
However, the Duke of Sussex, who was not invited to appear on the balcony after the ceremony, boarded a plane back to the United States just hours after his father was crowned, reportedly eager to return for the anniversary celebrations. your son’s birthday.
At the time, a well-informed source reportedly said that the king seemed “really quite disappointed not to have stayed.”
Prince Harry made another fleeting visit to the United Kingdom in February 2024, after the monarch revealed his cancer diagnosis.
Prince Harry is pictured greeting his father during the 10th birthday memorial service for Diana, Princess of Wales in 2007.
Harry reportedly met his father at Clarence House for just 30 minutes in what was their first face-to-face meeting in 16 months.
According to royal expert Robert Jobson, the meeting may have been kept brief to prevent the monarch from experiencing unnecessary stress.
When the Duke arrived in the UK in May to attend a service in London to mark the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, he did not meet any of his family.
Addressing this issue, a spokesperson for Harry issued a statement saying: “In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation about whether or not the Duke will be reunited with his father while in the UK this week, unfortunately it will not be possible due to to His Majesty’s decision.” Full program.
“The Duke, of course, understands his father’s diary of engagements and other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Meanwhile, Prince William has grown closer to his father of late, according to royal author Robert Hardman.
Reports suggest that while Prince Harry (pictured, right) has a strained relationship with King Charles, Prince William (pictured, left) has recently grown closer to his father (seen in Windsor after viewing floral tributes for the late Queen Elizabeth II in September). 2022)
Writing about the relationship between father and son in his latest book, Charles III, Robert said: “AAs noted above, the Prince of Wales’s relationship with the King has been strengthened by the twin burdens of his new roles and the periodic broadsides from California.
“Furthermore, the more involved the heir to the throne becomes in the management of the Duchy of Cornwall and the royal estates, the more he comes to appreciate his father’s dedication and achievements over the years.”
It’s a far cry from reports that the heir had a more complicated relationship with his father in his early years.
According to royal expert Robert Lacey, in his 2020 book, Battle of Brothers: William and Harry – The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult, the heir allegedly felt “open disdain and aggression” toward his father while growing up.
Robert Lacey alleged that William once shouted, “I hate you, Dad.” I hate you so much. Why do you make mom cry all the time?
Neither the King nor the Prince have revealed whether Lacey’s claims are true.
The close bond the two share these days has been evident on several occasions, where the couple has interacted publicly.
Prince William kisses his father, King Charles, on the cheek during the monarch’s coronation ceremony in 2023
One of those moments was during the coronation of the King. After William swore an oath of loyalty to his father, he kissed him on the cheek according to tradition and his father said, “Amen, thank you William.”
Many commenters noted how emotional the moment seemed to be and how tenderly the father and son interacted.
During the following Coronation celebration concert, William gave a speech in which he said: ‘My father has always understood that people of all faiths, all backgrounds and all communities deserve to be celebrated and supported. Dad, we are all very proud of you.
The King equally praised his eldest son while delivering his first speech as monarch, saying: “Today, I am proud to create (William) Prince of Wales, Tywysog Cymru, the country whose title I have had the great privilege of bearing for much of my life and duty.
“With Catherine at his side, I know our new Prince and Princess of Wales will continue to inspire and lead our national conversations, helping to bring those on the margins to the center of the field where vital help can be delivered.”