King Charles misses 'darling boy' Prince Harry as William pushes for 'absolute ban’ on his royal return

LONDON, UK: In the latest chapter of royal family tensions, Prince Harry attended the 2024 WellChild Awards ceremony in London on September 30, but notably did not meet with either King Charles or Prince William during his brief visit to the UK.

While Harry was busy with charitable endeavors, royal experts reported that King Charles is yearning for a reconciliation with his "darling boy."

Despite being in his home country, the Duke of Sussex, 40, had no plans to see the king, his father, 75, or Prince of Wales, his brother, 42. 

According to People magazine, Harry did not make arrangements to meet with them, a continuation of the strained relations that have characterized his interactions with the royal family since he and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from royal duties in early 2020.

They cited “unbearable intrusions” and “racist attitudes” from the British press as reasons for their departure. In May, when Harry was last in the UK to commemorate the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games, he extended invitations to both King Charles and Prince William, yet they failed to reunite then as well.

Royal expert unpacks strained family dynamics

British royal expert Hilary Fordwich explained the complexities of the familial dynamics, stating, “If anyone would relent, it would be King Charles III, whom, of course, Prince William won’t challenge. [He] still misses his ‘darling boy’ and would like to see more of Prince Harry.”

However, the expert noted that it is William who remains steadfast in his refusal to communicate with Harry. "It’s all an issue of trust," he highlighted.

"Prince William is the most unlikely royal to ever forgive Harry for all his despicable indiscretions. He is now very much seen and accepted as the family enforcer, taking on the hard-line ruler role of his grandfather, Prince Philip. In this capacity, it’s widely known within the family that Prince William has laid down an absolute ban on Harry returning in any way, shape or form to his former royal family fold."

The ripple effect of Prince Harry's departure

The fallout from Prince Harry’s 2020 departure has manifested in public and private discord, with sources indicating that his calls and letters to his father remain unanswered, and his attempts to connect with Prince William through texts and messages are "similarly ignored."

“William and Harry would not meet each other right now, even though they were just a very short distance away from each other,” remarked Ian Pelham Turner, another royal expert.

"This is of no surprise to me as the bickering between the two brothers continues," he added. "And King Charles is occupied preparing for his Australian visit."

Experts say Prince Harry's criticism of Camilla proves to be his unforgivable sin

Compounding the familial tensions, Christopher Andersen, author of 'The King', shared insights into King Charles's struggles with forgiveness.

While the king misses Harry, Andersen notes, “The one thing that Charles finds unforgivable is criticism of Camilla.”

This sentiment is a direct reference to the criticisms Harry leveled against his stepmother in his memoir, 'Spare', where he characterized her as “the villain in the piece.” Andersen added, “There’s no criticism of Camilla. And unfortunately for Harry… Harry said some pretty devastating things about her.”

Harry has not only expressed these sentiments in his memoir but has also discussed them during various interviews, accusing Camilla of leaking private conversations to the media and of leveraging her position to gain favorable press coverage.

“That made her dangerous because of the connections that she was forging within the British press,” he said during a CBS interview, emphasizing the complex interplay of personal and public life within the royal family.

Subsequently, the accusations against Camilla are especially delicate due to her involvement in the dissolution of Charles' marriage to Princess Diana, Harry and William's mother. The late Princess of Wales famously referred to Camilla, who had a prolonged affair with Charles, as the third party in their marriage.

As Charles prepares for upcoming engagements, including an Australian visit, the gulf between him and Harry seems to widen. Meanwhile, Prince William has made it clear through his actions that he has no intention of reconciling with his estranged brother.