King Charles could be the one to take the first step toward reconciliation with Prince Harry, despite reported mounting opposition from those closest to the monarch.
Despite the deep family rift, royal historian Dr. Ed Owens has offered a glimmer of hope.
“I would like to think the king will take that step toward reconciliation with Harry in due course,”he said.
But whether King Charles will act before it’s too late remains an open question.
King Charles and Prince Harry reconciliation
Fifteen months have now passed since Charles and Prince Harry last saw each other in person.
The distance, both physical and emotional, has been worsened by ongoing legal battles, most recently, Harry’s failed appeal to reinstate taxpayer-funded police protection for his family during UK visits. The security dispute, Harry said, has only deepened the family rift.
“I don’t know how much longer my father has. He won’t speak to me,” Harry told the BBC in a recent, emotionally charged interview.
During the interview, Harry also said he would like a reconciliation with his family.
I would like to think the king will take that step toward reconciliation with Harry in due course
Once viewed by Charles as his “darling boy”, Harry’s standing in the royal family has dramatically shifted.
Royal historian Dr. Ed said Harry was once seen as “one of [Charles’] reliable lieutenants”. But that vision shattered in 2020 when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California.
The couple’s bombshell 2021 Oprah interview, their tell-all 2022 Netflix series and Harry’s memoir Spare have only widened the divide.
‘The king and William don’t trust Harry and Meghan’
Within the royal household, there appears to be little interest in healing the rift.
“There is not a good angel in [Charles’] ear to say, ‘Be a good dad. Make the first move,’” royal author Valentine Low shares.
Meanwhile, Harry’s older brother William has reportedly shown no interest in reconciliation. Queen Camilla is said to stay out of it too.
Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith said the fundamental issue is trust, telling PEOPLE: “The king and William don’t trust Harry and Meghan with any kind of confidential conversation.”
But with the king undergoing treatment for an undisclosed type of cancer, the stakes continue to rise.
Security remains an obstacle. Harry insists he can’t safely bring Meghan and their children, Prince Archie, six, and Princess Lilibet, who turns 4 on June 4, to the UK without proper protection.
While Harry believes Charles could reverse the decision, the palace maintains the matter has been “examined repeatedly and meticulously” by the courts.
