Prince Harry Gets Accused of Trying to Upstage King Charles With a ‘Pattern of Distractions’

Prince Harry and King Charles are reportedly not on speaking terms, given the Duke's many disparaging remarks about the royal family. Despite Harry’s plea for a reconciliation, critics claim he has been deliberately trying to upstage his father as he undertakes important royal events. Most recently, Harry visited China on May 26 — the same day Charles arrived in Canada for his much-anticipated throne speech.

Harry and Meghan Markle have been accused of organizing well-timed trips to steer the spotlight on themselves, instead of the royal family. As reported by the Daily Mail, other incidents of the 'pattern of Sussex distractions’ include Harry’s April 2025 London court appearance, which coincided with Charles's state visit to Italy. Harry also sat down for his bombshell BBC interview days before the awaited VE Day celebrations. Similarly, Markle's interview on The Jamie Kern Lima Show came on April 28, a day before Prince William and Kate Middleton’s 14th wedding anniversary. In the episode, the Duchess of Sussex broke down in tears as she revealed personal details about her and Harry's early courtship, which she claimed was in ‘trenches.’

On April 23, as the Waleses posted a photo of their youngest, Prince Louis, missing his front teeth for his birthday portrait, Markle, mere hours later, revealed that her son, Prince Archie, was about to lose his first tooth. She said on stage at the TIME 100 Summit, “What we're going to put out during our next launch is equally as important to me as Archie getting his first [big] tooth this week. It's about to happen, I might get back just in time for it!” She has also been accused of ‘copying’ clothes worn by the Wales children after introducing her ‘Easter edit’ on her ShopMe page on Instagram.

Coming back to Harry’s well-timed China trip, royal expert Jennie Bond believed his attempt to steal the limelight from Charles failed miserably. She told The Mirror, “Fortunately, it seems not to have overshadowed Charles and Camilla’s trip to Canada…If the idea was to garner as much publicity for the cause as possible, it would seem to have fallen rather short.” The expert also pointed out the irony of Harry’s recent trip, adding, “The irony of flying across the world to promote sustainable, environmentally friendly travel is hard to ignore. Surely a video speech would have been more ethical?”

Royal broadcaster Helena Chard also told Fox News that reports of a reunion between Harry and Charles in Canada were 'highly unlikely'. She explained, “King Charles cannot have a private conversation with his wayward son without the fear of Harry revealing to the media the content of such a private family discussion.” The expert further opined, “Harry’s statements reflect a sense of resignation regarding the lamentable state of their relationship, which remains deeply fractured.” However, former British public affairs official Shannon Felton Spence told the outlet that Harry and Charles cannot reunite despite the proximity, as there are many constraints placed upon royal travel plans, which are planned months in advance.