As King Charles and Prince Harry’s relationship continues to face hurdles, the father-son duo have experienced many highs and lows over the years.
As with many family members, Harry and his father have had their fair share of ups and downs over the decades. Although most experience these hardships in privacy, the pair have put many of their best and worst moments in the spotlight.
From bombshell memoirs, tell-all interviews, coronations, weddings, and illnesses, the famous figures have been through it all together. And as the two are allegedly no longer are speaking terms, we’re revisiting some of their most memorable disagreements and their kindest gestures in attempts at repairing their relationship.
King Charles sends ‘hidden message’ to Meghan and Harry and hints at possible royal return
When Prince Harry was still a senior member of the royal family, his Charles gave a heartfelt sign of support for his son and his wife Meghan Markle during their famous nuptials. Harry and Meghan shared a fairytale wedding ceremony on May, 18, 2018, at St. George’s Chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
But after the news was revealed that Meghans father, Thomas Markle, would not be walking her down the aisle after being accused of staging paparazzi photos for money, Charles offered to step in. In the documentary Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70, Harry explained: “I asked him to and I think he knew it was coming and he immediately said, Yes, of course. Ill do whatever Meghan needs and Im here to support you. For him, thats a fantastic opportunity to step up and be that support. Hes our father, so of course, hes gonna be there for us. I was very grateful for him to be able to do that.
After Harry and his wife Meghan made the decision to step away from their duties and relocate to California, Harry was met with backlash from his family members. But tension really ignited after Harry’s bombshell interview with CBS in March of 2021 with Oprah Winfrey. In the interview, the pair touched on a number of controversial topics including their struggles in the Firm and the claims that one member made racist remarks about their unborn baby.
During the interview, the Duke of Sussex also revealed the beef between him and his father, and how he stopped supporting him financially. He explained: “My family literally cut me off financially, and I [needed to be able to] afford security for us. [I was cut off] in the first quarter of 2020. But Ive got what my mom [Princess Diana, who died in August 1997] left me and without that, we would not have been able to do this.
Harry also went on to reveal that at the time, Charles also stopped answering his calls. He confessed: “Its really sad that its gotten to this point, but Ive got to do something for my own mental health, my wifes and for Archies, as well, because I could see where this was headed. I feel really let down because hes been through something similar. He knows what pain feels like, and Archies his grandson.
In January of 2023, Harry released his tell-all memoir Spare, in which he detailed his complex relationship with his family including his father. After the book was released, royal biographer and expert Tom Quinn claimed that his father was fuming over the novel. In an interview with the Express, Quinn claimed that Charles was deeply offended by the contents of the book and at the whole idea that these difficulties should be aired in public.”
Quinn went on to add that the King allegedly believes Harry was always complaining about the way he was treated.” He added: “It appears that King Charles approach towards Harry now is business as usual if you want to see me you need to make an appointment.’ Harry will have to get past the grey suits and jump through hoops to talk to his father. Its very standoffish but I think thats a way that the king is subtly punishing his son.”
On a more positive note, the pair seemed to build a bridge in their relationship when the Duke of Sussex went out of his way to attend his father’s coronation ceremony. During the event, millions of people across the UK gathered for the symbolic ceremony which combined a religious service and pageantry. The ceremony was held at Westminster Abbey and marked King Charles as the 40th reigning monarch.
For the occasion, Prince Harry took a special solo trip to the UK without his wife Meghan Markle. At the time, a source told US Weekly: “King Charles is sad Meghan cannot attend, but is thrilled Harry will be in attendance.”
During the ceremony, Harry was reported to have sat three rows behind his brother Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton. Despite being there to support his father, Harry was not seen on the balcony with his other family members when King Charles was officially crowned.
Despite Harry and Charles’ rift, Harry also went out of his way to make amends with his father after discovering his cancer diagnosis in February of 2024. The King discovered that he had cancer after a procedure for an enlarged prostate, but the form of cancer has not been revealed to the public. After the shocking news was announced to the world, Harry immediately jetted off to see his father in person.
During his visit, he was reported to have only seen his father for 30 minutes at the Clarence House before the King took a helicopter to Sandringham without his son. And while there were rumors that the reason why the meeting was so short is because Charles didn’t want to see Harry, it was later debunked and reported that the actual reasoning was because he had to limit his exposure to possible infections as he was undergoing treatment.
It seems that there continues to be tension between the two men as sources claimed that they were “no longer speaking” by the end of the summer. After returning to the UK to celebrate the 10th year of the Invictus Games, Charles did not attend the ceremony which marked one of his son’s proudest accomplishments.
Despite visiting Charles after his cancer diagnosis, the duo’s relationship allegedly took a turn for the worse as insiders told People magazine that the King no longer responds to Harry’s calls or letters. The source, who claims to be a close friend of Harry’s, told the news outlet: “He gets ‘unavailable right now.’ His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”
In recent months, Harry has also become fearful of his family’s safety and has reached out to his father numerous times for help as he is concerned that someone will harm his wife and children amid his ongoing feud with the royal family. The insider explained: “Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father. Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs.”
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