Being part of the British royal family comes with the type of scrutiny that, of course, requires a high level of security. Even as people are often more worried about King Charles’ illness, or the latest news in the feud between the King and his youngest son Harry, or how Prince William is feeling about a possible reconciliation with his brother, the truth is that the royals are important public figures, and their security reflects that.
Proof of that came as King Charles and Queen Camilla were reportedly quickly ushered into a hotel amid fears of a “sniper threat” during a trip to Jersey. The two were chatting with locals in St Helier when police reacted trying to protect them. However, Detective Chief Inspector Mark Hafey from the States of Jersey Police confirmed there was no actual threat.
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“It was a false alarm, my understanding is someone was on a roof trying to scare some birds,” he told ITV News, adding that, “I don’t think you can overreact in those situations because the safety of the King and Queen is paramount, all the officers involved just followed their training.”
This comes after reports that King Charles’ succession planning was already underway. “The people I’ve spoken to have said that the succession planning, as they call it, began even before Charles’ diagnosis,” royal author Tom Quinn told Harper’s Bazaar. “I mean, he’s the oldest Prince of Wales to become king in history, so succession planning had begun before Charles came to the throne simply because of the age issue.”
And though this means Prince William is, in some ways, being prepared for the role of King, there’s only so much preparing that can be done. “It’s always a role where you learn by example,” Robert Hardman, author of the 2024 biography Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story, told the outlet. So “they’re preparing William by giving him more of the sort of work that Charles would do,” according to Quinn. This has obviously been accelerated due to King Charles’ cancer diagnosis.
Christopher Andersen, another royal biographer, said: “The palace is putting on a good front, but the situation, in reality, is still very fluid.” And when it comes to King Charles, “It’s still touch-and-go.”
That means that, as the British royal family looks to the future, “Officials and aides—people who work very closely with William and Kate and Charles—they’re all conscious that William might have to become king earlier than expected,” Quinn added. “Partly the cancer, partly simply [because Charles is] 76. He could go on another 10 years, he could go on for 20 years. But with the cancer diagnosis, it’s a wake-up call.”
Perhaps this explains why there has now been a first step towards reconciliation between King Charles and Prince Harry, with their aides meeting in London last week. “There’s a long road ahead, but a channel of communication is now open for the first time in years,” The Mail on Sunday reported. “There was no formal agenda, just casual drinks. There were things both sides wanted to talk about.”
Just a few months ago, Prince Harry expressed in an interview that he wanted reconciliation. “There’s no point in continuing to fight anymore,” he said. “Life is precious. Forgiveness is 100 percent a possibility because I would like to get my father and brother back.”
It looks like that might come true when it comes to King Charles. As for Prince William, reconciliation remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: Prince Harry makes a fair point. Life is indeed precious.