King Charles and Prince Harry reconciliation ‘extremely unlikely' during upcoming Canada trip: expert

Yahoo

4 days ago

Several royal experts believe that any hopes of a royal reconciliation between King Charles and Prince Harry can be forgotten.
The king, 76, and queen, 77, will arrive in Canada on May 26 and depart on May 27. And while the couple will be on the same continent as the Duke of Sussex, who lives in California, there are reportedly no plans for father and son to have a heartfelt reunion behind closed doors.
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.
'Prince Harry is the king's flesh and blood, so of course he would like some sort of reconciliation with his youngest son,' British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard claimed to Fox News Digital.
'However, it's been over five years since Megxit, and still, Prince Harry is full of animosity,' Chard claimed. 'Prince Harry has blown all trust and any reconciliation with his father and the royal family for the moment.'
On May 2nd, Harry's rift with the royal family burst into the open once more when he gave a raw television interview to the BBC after losing a court case over his security.
In a long and, at times, emotional conversation, the 40-year-old said he wants reconciliation, but his father won't speak to him because of 'this security stuff,' a legal wrangle over protection for the prince when he is in Britain.
'This, at the heart of it, is a family dispute,' he said.Harry has been estranged from his family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back as senior royals in 2020 and moved to the U.S., alleging hostility and racist attitudes by the press and royal establishment. Harry's 2023 tell-all memoir, 'Spare,' stuffed with private details and embarrassing revelations, made things worse.
Sources close to the prince previously claimed to People magazine that the king, who was diagnosed with cancer in February 2024, won't respond to Harry's letters or calls.
British royal expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital that it was always 'extremely unlikely' that the king would have met with Harry during his Canada visit.
'Harry has destroyed any trust with his public airing of grievances in his security dispute, as this is a constitutional matter,' Fordwich 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,' Fordwich claimed. 'There is no sign of reconciliation. Harry's statements reflect a sense of resignation regarding the lamentable state of their relationship, which remains deeply fractured.'
'Harry has willingly and knowingly caused pain and public damage via his actions, so the royal family views him as a 'loose cannon,' hence their reluctance to engage with him further,' Fordwich claimed. 'In particular, his public comments regarding his father's health and security were viewed as highly inappropriate, as well as counterproductive.'
However, some royal experts believe there are more practical reasons why the king would skip a meeting with his son.
'It's certainly tempting to imagine a spontaneous reunion,' Shannon Felton Spence, a former British public affairs official, told Fox News Digital.
'But royal trips — especially those abroad — are planned with military precision, often months in advance,' she pointed out. 'Every moment is accounted for, every engagement tightly choreographed, and every detail managed with the gravitas of a diplomatic mission. These are not the kinds of trips where one can simply 'pop down' for a personal visit, no matter how close the geography may seem.'
'While the proximity may raise eyebrows … physical closeness doesn't always translate to meaningful contact,' Felton Spence shared. 'Whether the king and his son will find a moment to connect remains to be seen, but … it's likely less a snub and more a reflection of the constraints and priorities that define royal travel.'
Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner agreed.
'It would set a precedent for them changing plans at the last minute,' Turner told Fox News Digital. 'Protocol and planning are set for any overseas visit months in advance. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, then they are set in stone.'
Charles made his first official visit to Canada in 1970, People magazine reported. He most recently visited the country in 2022 with Queen Camilla to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee.
Still, several royal experts argued that if the king had planned to meet with Harry, it would have leaked to the press. Harry himself has spoken about his father's condition as Buckingham Palace gives infrequent updates.
Harry has met his father only once, briefly, since his diagnosis.
'I don't know how much longer my father has,' Harry told the BBC.
But Harry said that what's souring the relationship now is a decision to remove his police protection detail after he stopped being a working royal. The Court of Appeal in London rejected Harry's bid to restore the protection, saying a government committee was justified in deciding that security should be assessed on a case-by-case basis whenever Harry visits the U.K.
He suggested that his father was part of the problem, saying that he had asked the king 'to step out of the way and let the experts do their job.'
Harry's memoir scattered bitterness, blaming his father, stepmother and his elder brother Prince William, heir to the British throne. Still, he told the BBC that he could forgive his family.
'I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore,' said Harry.
Chard argued that if Harry were to 'show humility' and do the reverse – apologize to his father – tensions could ease with 'certain members of his family.'
'His actions have created significant damage to the institution, leading to a broader discussion about the future of the monarchy,' said Chard. '[After he apologizes], only then will King Charles endeavor to arrange a private meet-up with his son, away from prying eyes and ears.'
'Is Prince Harry stuck in a cycle of grief? He certainly seems unhappy,' Chard reflected. 'For a meeting to take place, Harry needs to move on from the stage where life is not fair, learn to listen, accept responsibility and stop his unscrupulous behavior, blaming his family for everything. Accepting the reality that he hasn't won certain cases and moving on will also do him the world of good.'
'Harry would have everything to gain by flying to meet with his father [privately] as his words have indicated he needs and wants reconciliation,' added Fordwich.
Harry claimed that he and his family are endangered when visiting Britain because of hostility aimed at him and Meghan on social media and through relentless hounding by the U.K. press.
He and Meghan are raising their two young children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, in California. Harry admitted he 'can't see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K.'
'It's really quite sad that I won't be able to show my children my homeland,' he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.