A spokesperson for Prince Harry said that King Charles was “too busy” to see his son when both men were in London earlier this month.
Prince Harry’s statement about his father King Charles not having enough time in his busy schedule to meet up with him was “hurtful and unnecessary” for His Majesty, a royal expert claimed.
Earlier in May Harry flew to the UK to attend a 10th anniversary service for the Invictus Games at St Paul’s Cathedral, with the King also having engagements on the same day at Buckingham Palace.
Despite much speculation that Harry and Charles would reunite, a spokesperson for the Duke said ahead of the service: “In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.
“The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Royal expert and biographer Ingrid Seward told The Mirror that these words were deeply unhelpful, explaining: “Harry’s unpredictable behaviour is hurtful to his father. Even if he were too busy to see Harry – and that is quite possible – to issue an announcement to this effect is unnecessary and benefits no one.
→ Swipe to see more articles
King Charles was upset by Prince Harry’s statement (Image: Getty)
“This is especially the case when his father is still undergoing cancer treatment and could well be very tired and emotionally fragile.”
It was later reported following Harry’s departure from London that the Prince actually turned down an invitation to stay at a royal residence due to security concerns.
Ms Seward added: “When Prince Harry turned down his father’s offer to stay at a royal residence during his three-day trip to London in May, it was a surprise to the royal household.
“The King was aware Harry had no UK base. He could not fail to be aware Harry was unduly anxious about security.”
Prince Harry reportedly turned down the chance to stay at a royal residence (Image: Getty)
She continued: “But he was not aware that Harry would issue a statement saying his father was too busy to meet him. It was hurtful and even if true if they had been under the same roof a meeting might have been arranged.
“The King is wary of his troublesome son. Whatever he does to try and help him is turned into a snub. Nothing is ever Harry’s fault. It is either the fault of the British Government, or the lack of security afforded him by the Metropolitan Police.
“They have offered him a ‘bespoke’ arrangement, assessing each visit individually. Not good enough for Harry. He had his own arrangement to stay at a luxury private hotel where the entrance and exit are hidden from peering eyes and cameras and even the hotel staff don’t know what VIP guests are staying.”
Charles and Harry have yet to fully reconcile (Image: Getty)
The King may be considering inviting Harry, Meghan Markle and their two children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet to Balmoral for the summer.
However the Duke’s fears for his family’s security may prevent him from accepting any such invitation as he is no longer entitled to taxpayer-funded protection.
In February Harry lost his case against the Home Office to restore his security, with his bid for an appeal also thrown out by the courts in April.
