close
close

Mondor Festival

News with a Local Lens

King Charles won’t forgive Prince Harry unless his ex-son stops doing this: author
minsta

King Charles won’t forgive Prince Harry unless his ex-son stops doing this: author

Join Fox News to access this content

Plus special access to selected articles and other premium content with your account – for free.

By entering your email and pressing Continue, you agree to the information from Fox News. Terms of Use And Privacy Policywho understands our Notice of financial incentive.

Please provide a valid email address.

King Charles would like to make amends with his estranged son Prince Harry, but peace talks won’t be easy.

This claim was made by Robert Hardman, DailyMail contributor and author of “The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy.” »

Hardman told Fox News Digital that the royal, who is battling an undisclosed form of cancer, would only be willing to speak with the Duke of Sussex again once he felt his son was no longer publicly expressing his wishes. grievances.

“People keep asking, ‘Could Harry return to royal life? Could he do this? Could he do that?’ “You never say never with the royal family,” Hardman explained. “But I think a good place to start is to return to a situation where it’s perfectly normal for Harry to visit the UK and see his father with (his) children, and Meghan (Markle) too, if she does. wish.”

KATE MIDDLETON STOPS PLAYING PRINCE HARRY PEACEMAKER, ‘FINALLY RAISING HANDS IN DISGUST’: EXPERT

Prince Harry looks to the side while the brooding King Charles and Queen Camilla look ahead.

Prince Harry has had a strained relationship with his family since stepping down from royal duties in 2020. (Isabel Infantes/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

“It’s going to be a slow burn, yes, but no, the door isn’t slammed.”

— Robert Hardman, author of “The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy”

“We feel she doesn’t like coming to Britain at all,” Hardman said of the Duchess of Sussex. “But if you get to a situation where they come to see Grandpa every once in a while – once that happens once or twice and it becomes normal, they can start building from there.”

“It’s going to be a slow burn, yes, but no, the door is not closed,” he added.

Hardman believes Harry should try to make peace with his father if he ever wants to return to the royal fold in any capacity. He described Prince William, heir to the British throne, as “very devoted”, a royal who will prioritize the crown over his relationship with his younger brother, which would be non-existent today.

King Charles and Queen Camilla saluting from a plane.

King Charles III and Queen Camilla salute as they board the Royal Australian Air Force jet via Faleolo International Airport following their visit to a farewell ceremony at Siumu village in Apia, Samoa, on Saturday . Buckingham Palace announced in February that the monarch had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. (Chris Jackson/Pool/Getty Images)

“William is less radical than his father,” Hardman said. “They do things differently. They have their own opinions on certain things… But they work as a team. It all goes back to the night when Queen Elizabeth II died (in 2022) and the royal family gathered at Balmoral Castle. Everyone is sad at dinner except Charles, (Queen) Camilla and William. They went to Charles to plan what will happen from this point on. They said, “We need to be a team. »

A close-up of Prince William in military uniform.

Prince William is the heir to the British throne. His relationship with his younger brother, Prince Harry, is said to be non-existent. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“Even in the years when Queen Elizabeth II was growing weaker and weaker and the king was doing more of his duties, William felt he had to step up his efforts more and more,” Hardman continued. “That’s why William and Charles have a good working relationship… If you look at history, there were usually great tensions between the monarch and the heir to the throne – truly extraordinary tensions… But that didn’t happen. not produced in modern times.”

Queen Elizabeth smiles and looks into the distance in a patterned blue dress and pearl necklaces at Windsor Castle

Queen Elizabeth II, England’s longest-reigning monarch, died in September 2022 at the age of 96. (Dominic Lipinski/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A source told royal expert Neil Sean that Harry has been feeling “the birthday blues” since he turned 40. On September 30, the father of two attended the annual WellChild Awards in London, the charity he continues to support since stepping down. a senior royal.

CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER

A close-up of Prince Harry smiling at the WellChild Awards

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, smiles as he attends the 2024 WellChild Awards at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on September 30. WellChild is a national charity supporting seriously ill children and their families. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

“Harry wanted an opinion on exactly where he stood in the UK market and admitted to my source that he had the birthday blues about turning 40, but he also added that he was excited about the next decade,” Sean told Fox News Digital. The source described his reasoning as “basically, no one knows where life is taking them, right? “

The source told Sean that the prince “…admitted that he loves the WellChild Awards simply because it makes him rethink his life – whatever problems he thinks he has, it’s just nothing compared to what these courageous children are going through.” The source noted that Harry “misses the UK on a daily basis.”

The source told Sean that Harry would consider moving back to London full-time if he wanted to, but “once you have kids, your life is no longer your own.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex share two young children: Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3. They grew up in California.

Prince Harry in a navy blue suit walking in front of two men in matching blue suits.

Prince Harry has been the charity’s patron since 2007 and has attended the awards ceremony 12 times. (Yui Mok/PA Images via Getty Images)

“Further in the conversation, he asked me if I had had the opportunity to read his autobiography and if it had changed my opinion of him,” the source told Sean. “He seemed really eager to answer this series of questions – it turns out I wasn’t the only one he talked to about it. When he left, he was all smiles, upbeat and positive.”

“I had the feeling that… his life wasn’t as fulfilled as he would like to portray it,” the source continued. “But it must be said that he made every one of those kids in that room in that hotel feel incredibly special and for that we should all be grateful.”

Sean thinks Harry “wants to come back” to his home country, but the people he needs to convince are “his family, the royal family.”

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU READ? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

King Charles smiling in his uniform.

Sources told People magazine that King Charles has stopped responding to Prince Harry’s phone calls and letters. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Hardman previously claimed to Fox News Digital that Charles was told not to respond to Harry’s calls and messages to keep his “stress levels low.”

“I know people keep saying, ‘Why doesn’t he see Harry when he’s in town? Why can’t they work things out?’ Hardman explained: “But right now, it feels like we just need to keep the king’s stress levels low. We don’t want him to have to worry about extra things. Moving on… We have a feeling it’s probably not the time. »

“If you listen to what Harry has said in his TV series, in his book, in his interviews, there’s a lot to unpack,” Hardman explained. “There are a lot of things he wants to sort out and deal with…At the moment there is a feeling that it is not the time. But I am sure the king would like to normalize things.”

Book cover of The Making of a King

Robert Hardman’s book, “The Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy,” is available now. (Pegasus Books)

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Harry has had a strained relationship with his family since he and his wife left royal duties in 2020. At the time, the couple said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press had caused them to step down as senior royals.

Copies of Prince Harry Spare's memoirs on a table

“Spare” was released in January 2023. (Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images)

The father of two has since detailed his difficult relationship with his family in television interviews, a documentary and his memoir, “Spare.”

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Meghan and Harry sit down with Oprah Winfrey

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke to Oprah Winfrey in 2021, a year after their royal exit. (Getty Images)

In March 2021, Harry told Oprah Winfrey in a television interview that the king stopped answering his phone calls shortly before he and his wife left the royals.

A friend of the couple told People magazine that security had always been a major concern for the prince, along with a lack of support from the palace.

In July, insiders told the outlet that Harry was preparing to appeal a court ruling upholding the decision to deny him security. The Duke of Sussex wants to restore security to allow more flexible visits to the UK for himself, his wife and their two children.

WATCH: PRINCE WILLIAM IS A NURSE TO GIVE HIS CHILDREN A NORMAL LIFE: AUTHOR

The sources claimed the issue played “a crucial role” in Harry’s continued estrangement from his father.

Harry lost his taxpayer-funded personal security after giving up his status as a working member of the royal family.

“(They) didn’t feel like they had a choice,” the friend told the outlet. “The only option was to leave – for their mental health. I think they thought if they got out of that bubble there would be less focus on them.”

Prince Harry looks away while sitting in a car.

Prince Harry is seen here departing in his chauffeur-driven Range Rover after attending the WellChild Awards 2024 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London on September 30. (Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)

According to the outlet, some inside the palace have suggested that Harry’s memoir and interviews have damaged the family’s trust in him. Meanwhile, those close to the prince have argued that if he had adequate security, he would not need to speak publicly to help pay.

If the question of security is resolved, “it’s iron on the ground,” said the friend.

“(Nothing) would give (Harry) more happiness than being able to rekindle his bond with his father,” the friend told the outlet. “At the end of the day, you can’t undo bloodlines. He’s not asking his father for a nicer house or nicer cars. He’s asking because of the reality of the situation. He’s in danger.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.