{"id":393168,"date":"2025-09-03T00:03:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T00:03:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/393168\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T00:03:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T00:03:10","slug":"prince-harry-and-charles-meeting-could-make-or-break-family-feud-excl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/393168\/","title":{"rendered":"Prince Harry and Charles’ Meeting Could ‘Make or Break’ Family Feud (Excl)"},"content":{"rendered":"

On August 24, members of the royal family attended a church service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where they are spending the final weeks of summer. Decamping to the idyllic property nestled in the Scottish Highlands has been a royal tradition since 1852, and this year brought a sizable group: King Charles III<\/strong><\/a> and wife Queen Camilla<\/strong> have been joined by Prince William<\/strong><\/a> and Princess Kate Middleton<\/strong><\/a> and their three kids, the king\u2019s sister Princess Anne<\/strong> and husband Sir Timothy Laurence<\/strong> (with her son, Peter Phillips<\/strong>, and new fianc\u00e9e<\/a> Harriet Sperling<\/strong>), and Prince Edward<\/strong> and his wife, Duchess Sophie<\/strong>. Princess Beatrice<\/strong> and Princess Eugenie<\/strong> were also expected to descend upon Balmoral for the annual family vacation.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, Charles\u2019 estranged son, Prince Harry<\/strong><\/a>, and wife Meghan Markle<\/strong> did not make the guest list. The father and son have been on the outs since Harry, 40, left his royal post in 2020. They appeared to make some headway in July when members of their respective teams met in the U.K. \u2014 seemingly to open up the lines of communication \u2014 but a source tells Us progress has been slow, and that they haven\u2019t spoken outside of a \u201cbrief phone call\u201d for the king\u2019s 76th birthday late last year.<\/p>\n

Now, a sliver of hope for the pair: There\u2019s potential for a face-to-face meeting<\/a> when Harry arrives in England for the WellChild Awards<\/a>, which is set to take place on Monday, September 8. According to royal sources and experts, Harry is on board, but the ball is in Charles\u2019 court. And the king, who is currently battling cancer, is torn. \u201cCharles does want to meet Harry,\u201d says a royal insider. \u201cHe doesn\u2019t want this falling-out to overshadow his legacy. But Harry has caused chaos and hurt, so it\u2019s complicated.\u201d Adds royal historian Marlene Koenig<\/strong>: \u201cIf there is a meeting, it will be private and more likely to be on the king\u2019s terms rather than Harry\u2019s.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"InsideChris Jackson\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Baby Steps<\/p>\n

The relationship between Charles and Harry hit a low point in May, after a British court upheld its decision<\/a> to remove Harry\u2019s automatic police protection in the U.K. In an emotional BBC interview<\/a>, Harry appeared to both implicate his father in the court\u2019s ruling (\u201cThere is a lot of control and my ability in my father\u2019s hands,\u201d he said) while also expressing his desire to reconcile (\u201cThere\u2019s no point in continuing to fight anymore. Life is precious. I don\u2019t know how much longer my father has \u2026 he won\u2019t speak to me,\u201d he added).<\/p>\n

Two months later, things were looking up. On July 9, Harry and Meghan\u2019s new chief communications officer, Meredith Maines<\/strong>, and his PR person, Liam Maguire<\/strong>, met with Charles\u2019 director of communications, Tobyn Andreae<\/strong>. It took place at the private members\u2019 club Royal Over-Seas League in London \u2014 although the trio first sat out on the terrace, where they were photographed<\/a>. The royal insider says both sides likely agreed to leak information about the sit-down in order to \u201callow the public to warm up to the idea\u201d of Charles and Harry reconciling. \u201cIt [would take] time for the public to get used to it,\u201d the insider explains, adding, \u201cbut ultimately, the public wants them to make amends.\u201d<\/p>\n

The momentum could lead to a one-on-one between Harry and Charles \u2014 the first since Harry flew to England to see the king following his February 2024 cancer announcement<\/a>. \u201cA meeting is feasible, and both sides are open to it,\u201d says the royal insider. \u201cThis marks the first tentative steps of a reconciliation.\u201d The source says the likelihood of a get-together is \u201chigh\u201d but notes that it\u2019s more inclined to be cordial and brief versus an \u201cin-depth\u201d conversation about mending fences.<\/p>\n

There are logistics to consider. Charles is scheduled to host Donald Trump<\/strong> during the president\u2019s visit to the U.K. from September 17\u201319 with first lady Melania Trump<\/strong>. If there is a conflict between the king\u2019s duties and preparation for Trump, Charles wouldn\u2019t change his schedule to see Harry, the source says. \u201cIt\u2019s a state visit and takes precedence.\u201d (The king, adds the source, \u201cworks very hard despite his illness.\u201d)<\/p>\n

Christopher Andersen<\/strong>, author of The King: The Life of King Charles III, believes there are one too many obstacles and says the chances of a meeting between Charles and Harry are \u201cslim,\u201d adding that Charles will be \u201cconsumed\u201d by Trump\u2019s visit and is focused on his health. \u201cThe king is still undergoing weekly chemotherapy treatments, and drama would inevitably go along with some sort of summit with Harry,\u201d Andersen tells Us. \u201cHaving Harry around is the sort of draining distraction he just doesn\u2019t need at the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

(The source tells Us a later meeting could take place in November should Harry attend the Christmas Cotswold Fair, which has yet to be confirmed. The event is held two days after the annual Festival of Remembrance.)<\/p>\n

Painful History<\/p>\n

Charles and Harry have been at an impasse for more than five years. Harry and Meghan\u2019s bombshell TV interview in 2021<\/a> (in which, among other shocking allegations, they claimed they were questioned by senior royals about what color skin their future son Archie, now 6, would have) and Harry\u2019s 2023 tell-all Spare did little to turn the tide. \u201cWhile there is familial love beneath the surface between Charles and Harry, it\u2019s currently frozen by a layer of hurt feelings, mistrust and unresolved grievances stemming from the last few years,\u201d says the source.<\/p>\n

Trust remains at the heart of the issue. \u201cThe wounds inflicted on Charles and William in Spare \u2014 including accusations of racism, bullying and backbiting \u2014 have yet to heal,\u201d says Andersen.<\/p>\n

In order to move forward, both sides would need to make changes. \u201cCharles wants Harry first and foremost to stop talking about the royal family,\u201d says Andersen. Harry, meanwhile, \u201cstill wants his family to receive royal protection when they\u2019re in the U.K.\u201d (Harry and Meghan also share daughter Lili, 4.) \u201cThat\u2019s something Charles could make happen with a snap of his fingers,\u201d Andersen notes.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Prince
\n\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t
\n Related: Prince Harry and King Charles III’s Ups and Downs Through the Years<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\tWhen Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle stepped down from their positions as senior working royals, the duke\u2019s relationship with father King Charles III dissipated. \u201cMy family literally cut me off financially, and I [needed to be able to] afford security for us,\u201d the Duke of Sussex alleged in his bombshell CBS interview in March [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n

It will be an uphill battle. \u201cThe king certainly wants a reconciliation with his son,\u201d says Koenig, \u201cbut it would be on his terms, not Harry\u2019s. True compromise will be difficult on both sides. I sincerely doubt that the king will respond to numerous demands from Harry.\u201d Adds Andersen: \u201cThere\u2019s a lot being said about \u2018terms and conditions,\u2019 which isn\u2019t a terribly good sign.\u201d<\/p>\n

In late July, Harry appeared to extend an olive branch when he offered to share his official calendar with the royal family in order to avoid scheduling conflicts (earlier that month, U.K. newspapers reported that Harry\u2019s trip to Angola had overshadowed Camilla\u2019s 78th birthday) and possibly help Harry and Charles\u2019 camps work out a time for them to meet. Says the source: \u201cHarry wanted to show his father\u2019s team that he\u2019s serious about finding a window for communication.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Pivotal Decision<\/p>\n

A sit-down between father and son could have far-reaching consequences. \u201cThis meetup is make-or-break,\u201d says the royal insider. \u201cIf it goes well, it could lead to other family members being open to better relationships. If things get leaked negatively, then it\u2019s done, and there\u2019s no chance [for peace].\u201d (Where does William stand on all this? The source says he\u2019s \u201cneutral but wary\u201d of a potential meet-up.)<\/p>\n

Time is of the essence considering the king\u2019s health. (The insider adds that Harry is also keen to get on good terms before the 2027 Invictus Games<\/a> kick off in his home country.) \u201cHarry is concerned about his father and feels the weight of time,\u201d says the source, noting that a \u201cheightened sense of urgency\u201d is \u201ca catalyst\u201d for both sides to try to work things out. \u201cFor Charles, a meeting with Harry means establishing harmony. [He] understands that headlines and strife are not good for anyone, and he wants things to move forward. For Harry, it\u2019s an opening for his children to have a relationship with their grandfather.\u201d Adds the royal insider: \u201c[They could finally] clear the air and have a fresh start.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more on Harry and Charles, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly \u2014 on newsstands now<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On August 24, members of the royal family attended a church service at Crathie Kirk near Balmoral Castle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":393169,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7708],"tags":[4082,102458,2915,12,5105,7710,519,448,14066],"class_list":{"0":"post-393168","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-royals","8":"tag-celebrity-news","9":"tag-cover-story","10":"tag-exclusive","11":"tag-news","12":"tag-royal","13":"tag-royal-families","14":"tag-royal-family","15":"tag-royals","16":"tag-the-royals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115137439655875335","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393168","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393168"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393168\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/393169"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393168"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393168"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393168"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}