King Charles Reportedly ‘Longs to Re-Embrace’ Harry — And Is Growing Tired of Prince William
After Prince Harry met his father, King Charles, earlier this month for a 55-minute, one-on-one conversation, his vibe coming out of the sit-down was upbeat. Royal sources also described the encounter as 'super positive,' 'very relaxed,' and 'very emotional.' "The meeting was sparked by a handwritten letter from Harry earlier this year to Charles expressing his desire to reconnect," an insider revealed. "They were not sure it was going to happen until just in the last week," they added, as per Us Weekly. However, Prince William is still opposed to softening his stance on his brother.
Tina Brown, in a New York Times op-ed The Quiet Triumph of King Charles III, described the tension. Brown argued that the King had layered reasons for agreeing to the sit-down. Some were pragmatic, with the monarch conscious of how a fractured family projects weakness at a time when public faith in institutions is already eroding. “Charles knows that in these times of ugly political discord, a fractured royal family is a bad look,” Brown observed. Yet, she added, the decision also came from a place of emotion. “It was also the fulfillment of paternal longing. It’s no secret that Charles desperately misses his 'prodigal son' who, in earlier days, was always the fun, ebullient scamp compared with the haughtier, more Hanoverian William.”
William, however, is said to be infuriated by Harry’s continued prominence on the global stage, particularly when his younger brother’s appearances eclipse his own. Brown explained that it is ‘understandably enraging’ for William to watch Harry “bounding around the British charity, circuit, doing a well-received side-dash to Ukraine, and upstaging the photo ops of [his] own diligent engagements.” Adding to it is the lingering sting of Harry’s memoir and bombshell interviews.
Brown claimed that Charles has, hence, grown weary of William’s 'self-righteous intractability' and instead 'wants to re-embrace Harry,' albeit on the condition that his youngest refrains from further public attacks. Or, as Brown put it, assuming Harry can 'keep his mouth shut.'
Following his meeting with the King, Harry is said to have expressed plans to return to the UK several times a year. Royal sources told the Daily Mail that the Duke of Sussex hopes to attend 'four or five' public events annually, tied both to his charitable work and potentially in support of the royal family itself.
Addressing the reports, a royal insider downplayed the significance of the father-son reunion, telling the outlet, “Whoever is behind these briefings seems to have confused a quick cup of tea and a slice of cake with the Treaty of Versailles.” Additionally, there are reportedly growing concerns within Palace circles that members of 'Team Harry' are exploiting, what has been described as a small but meaningful step in mending ties, to deliberately create friction between the King and the Prince of Wales.