There’s nothing quite like King Charles and Prince Harry seemingly coordinating with each other in good faith, which is what has been happening for the past nine months or so. The implicit (but visible) coordination has exposed a lot of cracks in the royalist-hack operation, not to mention the cracked-out shenanigans of Prince William’s organization. Basically, a lot of people have a vested interest in keeping Charles and Harry apart and at odds. Those people have been slow to realize that Harry and Charles seemingly hit reset on their communications last year, and Harry’s political speeches and comments have the quiet approval of both Buckingham Palace and the Starmer government. Well, the i Newspaper has a new piece on what’s really going on and what it all means. Some highlights:
Harry liaises with Buckingham Palace: After his team met one of the King’s senior aides 10 months ago in what was labelled a “secret summit”, their two offices are liaising to inform each other about major plans and seeking to avoid diary clashes where possible. Relations ebb and flow amid ongoing tensions, but the lines of communication remain open. Increasingly, the King and Prince Harry, who also asked to be updated on his father’s health as part of the July 2025 courtesy agreement, seem to be speaking with the same voice.
Harry & Charles’ similar comments on antisemitism, Ukraine, NATO: Royal insiders say it is hardly surprising that they share a similar outlook on the big issues facing Britain and the planet. “He is his father’s son. They have had a similar upbringing and background,” one aide said. Charles, a more “political” monarch than his mother, was often outspoken as Prince of Wales, and Harry’s grandfather, Prince Philip, was also not averse to giving his opinion on controversial issues in public. There are echoes too of Diana, Princess of Wales, whose campaigning after her separation from Charles was not always authorised by the Palace or the government.
The liberation of Harry: Since quitting royal duties, Harry feels liberated, a close source says, and no longer subscribes to the Royal Family’s motto: never complain, never explain. In future, he hopes to spend more time in Britain and is clear about his desire to remain a public figure here. But his plans do not involve a return to the institution he and Meghan condemned, according to sources close to him. “He’s a global citizen and sees himself as an international humanitarian… he is a prince of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and a former Army officer. So of course he’s going to be interested in what is happening in Britain,” one source said. The same source claimed that whatever Harry did, he would be criticised. “But the media and the public still want to hear what he says,” he explained.
Harry’s trip to the UK in July: Harry is set to return to the UK in July to mark one year before the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham, but there has been no discussion between father and son about a reunion, according to a well-placed source. For Harry, 41, it hinges on the outcome of a Home Office review into whether he and his family can be guaranteed armed police protection. Until that is settled, it is unlikely that his children, Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 4, will accompany the Duke and Duchess on any future UK trips.
It’s always something with Charles: King Charles would dearly like to see his grandchildren, friends say, but quite how enthused he is about seeing Harry is unclear amid unease about the Sussex’s efforts to make money out of their royal status while portraying themselves as global humanitarians.
Harry & Charles’ offices don’t discuss everything: While there is liaison between their offices, it isn’t a close working relationship. On Thursday, an article written by Harry appeared in the New Statesman, condemning the rise in antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment in Britain. His intervention was published on the same day as the King’s visit to Golders Green to show support for the Jewish community after the stabbing attacks on 29 April. The timing prompted questions about how closely Harry was coordinating with the Royal Household. The Duke of Sussex was apparently unaware of the King’s visit – an engagement kept secret beforehand for security reasons – and he did not tell the Palace about his New Statesman article.
Boosting his brand!! “He’s not speaking on behalf of anyone but himself,” a Palace insider said. “Is this upholding the Queen’s values? I’m not sure. It seems more about keeping him in the headlines and boosting his brand.” The royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said: “There’s little to disagree with in what he says. His speeches or pieces are impeccably argued but there is this feeling that it’s about self-aggrandisement. He is carving out a role that doesn’t really exist.”
“King Charles would dearly like to see his grandchildren, friends say, but quite how enthused he is about seeing Harry is unclear amid unease about the Sussex’s efforts to make money out of their royal status while portraying themselves as global humanitarians…” I thought Charles’ reticence to speak to Harry was related to security and/or Harry’s lawsuits against the press? Those were the old excuses for “why Charles is a dogs-t father/grandfather.” They’ve added a new one – Charles is mad that Harry & Meghan are global humanitarians, that’s why Charles doesn’t want to see Lili and Archie!
Honestly though, whatever. If Harry has found a way to improve communications with his dad and the palace, so be it. There’s been a noticeable shift in tone, and sort of a quiet acknowledgement from BP that they can’t continue to throw tantrums over every single little thing Harry & Meghan do and say. That acknowledgement has not been shared by Kensington Palace. In fact, it often appears as if Charles is using the Sussexes to force William and Kate to get off their asses. This, too, is why William seemingly had a nervous breakdown last September over Harry & Charles’ meeting at Clarence House. No one has more of a vested interest in keeping Charles and Harry at odds than William.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
