Why Charles is still in ‘great pain’ over Harry: King won’t close the door to his youngest son but is angry at ‘anguish’ Prince caused late Queen and unhappy at his criticism of Camilla – as portrait to mark monarch’s 75th birthday is released

When the Queen was 75, Rankin – the photographer who has photographed everyone from Tony Blair to Madonna – took her Golden Jubilee portrait.

And perhaps it’s becoming something of a family tradition, after King Charles summoned Rankin to Clarence House last month as he prepares to turn 75 himself.

Here, the king’s birthday portrait can be revealed – a black and white close-up that shows him with a twinkle in his eye.

He will appear on the cover of the Big Issue magazine on Monday, marking the anniversary launch of a cause close to his heart: the Coronation Food Project, which aims to provide support during the cost of living crisis by redistributing food intended for landfills. .

Looking directly at the camera, the king appears focused and determined, with a confident smile and plenty of visible wrinkles – as befits someone who has ascended to the throne well past retirement age.

Friends say Charles (pictured with Camilla at the State Opening of Parliament) is “invigorated” by the challenge of becoming monarch and will not make much of a fuss about reaching his latest milestone on Tuesday.

It is understood there is currently “almost no level of communication” between Charles and Harry (pictured with Meghan at Kevin Costner’s property in Montecito, US, on September 22)

His friends say Charles is “invigorated” by the challenge of becoming monarch and will not make much of a fuss about reaching his latest milestone on Tuesday.

The King is determined to use his time on the throne productively, and just yesterday it was announced that Charles will become the first-ever patron of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, with the Duke of Kent also handing over the chairmanship to the faithful Charles’s right arm. wife, his sister Princess Anne.

The portrait will be on the cover of Big Issue magazine on Monday

After the Coronation Food Project launches on its anniversary, it will be business as usual. A creature of habit, the king rises at 7 a.m. and begins each day with the same Royal Canadian Air Force exercises that kept his late father fighting into his 80s.

The regimen is known as 5BX, which stands for five core exercises, an 11-minute workout that includes toe touches, sit-ups, back extensions, push-ups and running in place.

Aside from a nagging back pain that he has suffered from for years, the king is said to be in “very good shape”, a must given that he regularly works 12 to 14 hours a day.

The king then sits down to a breakfast of eggs, toast and honey. He doesn’t stop for lunch if he can help it, preferring a cup of tea, a sandwich and something sweet – preferably one of his favorite Welsh cakes – at 5pm sharp.

Dinner is just as simple, like an omelette or a jacket potato, before he returns to his papers late at night.

“He is surprisingly sober and personally lives a pretty simple life,” a close source said. “He doesn’t drink much and never eats too much. And he never ceases to be delighted to know that, even at 70, he can still wear all his old uniforms.

Charles loves music, with his Catholic tastes ranging from Wagner to Leonard Cohen, The Three Degrees and even a little Bob Marley.

But his real passion is being outdoors: walking, gardening or working on his farm, digging and laying hedges.

In Singapore, Prince William insisted he wanted to “go beyond” his family and bring real change to the causes he supports.

There is undeniable anger at the anguish the King believes Harry caused the late Queen in the final years of her life, not to mention the insults he inflicted on his own wife Camilla, including Charles is naturally protective.

King Charles (with Queen Camilla in Kenya earlier this month) will celebrate his 75th birthday on November 14.

At his side in many of his engagements is Queen Camilla, with whom he agrees that they need their own space. The couple are operating more as a team than ever, but the couple still keep separate homes, friends and interests, in what friends say is a “reasonable and pragmatic” approach to the stress of royal life. Returning from tours abroad, where they often live and work together 24/7, it is not uncommon to see “their” cars waiting on the track to take them to their respective countries for a well-deserved downtime.

Camilla will spend a few days with family and friends, while Charles works in his beloved gardens or on the farm. And at Windsor Castle or at Birkhall, their Scottish estate, it is not unusual for them to sit reading in company – in separate wings.

“It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but this time apart really suits them,” a close source said. “They’re better off for it.” And as Charles considers his own legacy, what of his son and heir?

There will no doubt be a wry smile on the king’s face this week when Prince William told reporters in Singapore that he wanted to “go further” than other members of the royal family in creating real change, rather than simply “highlighting” good causes.

“But don’t all children tell their parents that they could achieve this much better than before! » laughs a friend.

William, like Harry, was previously hostile to what he saw as his father’s media “spin machine”, his youthful shouting matches with the king permeating even the thick palace walls.

Now a father himself, William is much more understanding towards his “pa”. And the upside of Charles being in Windsor more, especially on weekends, is that he’s been able to spend more time with his grandchildren, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

The king and queen (in Paris in September) operate more as a team than ever, but the couple still keep separate homes, friends and interests, in what friends say is a “reasonable and pragmatic” approach to the stress of royal life.

“Has Her Majesty made any mistakes when it comes to parenting? Yes. Would he privately admit that he could have done certain things better, or at least differently? Of course,” says a source.

“But while I’m sure they still don’t always agree on everything, he and the Prince of Wales are now firmly united around a common interest, which is to keep the institution in a place where it can serve the nation.”

“It was happening anyway as the late Queen got older, but there’s no doubt that what happened with Harry brought it all into focus.”

This last subject is one that always causes “a lot of pain” to His Majesty. I’m told there is currently “virtually no level of communication” between Charles and Harry.

There is undeniable anger at the anguish the King believes Harry caused the late Queen in the final years of her life, not to mention the insults he inflicted on his own wife Camilla, of whom Charles is naturally protective.

Charles is a man who notoriously hates confrontation and will never shut the door on his youngest son. But sticking to his guns, he rejected Harry’s demands for an apology and put the whole issue aside for now while he focuses on the affairs of state.

There was a lot of talk this week about whether her youngest son would have been officially invited to her private birthday party next Tuesday. In fact, this is not the case. But I can reveal that the event is just a small, intimate dinner in London for close friends anyway.

Almost no family members will be present, in keeping with the king’s diktat that he just wants it to be an ordinary day. “There is a lot of pain on both sides, but time heals. For now, these are just small steps forward,” said one informed observer. “It is very sad that Her Majesty cannot see her son or her grandchildren, but there is no rush to sort things out. things.” For now, there will be just time on Tuesday for Her Majesty to raise a glass of English sparkling wine (organic, no doubt), before those red boxes beckon again.