Prince Harry and King Charles’ relationship is thought to still be strained, with the Duke of Sussex failing to visit his father during his recent UK trip

Prince Harry’s royal rift with King Charles deepens as pair ‘are distant’

Prince Harry seems to have no intention of mending fences with his father King Charles anytime soon.

The Duke of Sussex, who has been in the UK recently to challenge a court decision regarding his private security, did not take the opportunity to see his father during his stay—even as King Charles undergoes cancer treatment. The relationship between the two has grown increasingly cold over the years, exacerbated by Harry and his wife Meghan Markle’s candid revelations about the Royal family in their 2021 Netflix documentary and Harry’s tell-all 2023 book, ‘Spare’.

Despite the fact that King Charles is undergoing further cancer treatment and has had to step back from his Royal responsibilities, Harry seemed detached on his latest trip to the UK, failing to visit the ailing monarch. Their bond appears to be under significant strain, with no signs pointing towards reconciliation.

Speaking to People magazine an insider stated: “I don’t think there is any rapprochement. Nothing has changed.”

Another source echoed the sentiment, saying: “They are distant.”

In February last year, when King Charles’ cancer diagnosis became public, Harry made a swift visit to be by his father’s side, yet it’s reported that this meeting lasted only 30 minutes. Since then, it’s believed the father and son have not seen each other , reports the Mirror US.

Prince Harry and King Charles have been close in the past, but remain ‘distant’ currently(Image: Getty Images)

At the time, Harry disclosed that he was personally informed about his father’s health condition by the King himself, prompting him to fly out immediately to be with him. He shared his appreciation for the opportunity to be with his father during such a time, stating, “Look I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go and see him and spend any time with him I’m grateful for that.”

While Harry remained tight-lipped about the specifics of his father’s illness, he made it clear that “that stays between us.”

Nonetheless, when probed about whether this health scare might heal their strained relationship, Harry optimistically said, “Yeah, I’m sure. Throughout all these families I see it on a day-to-day basis the strength of the family unit coming together. I think any illness, any sickness brings families together.”

Amidst this personal family matter, Harry is also contending with additional stress due to an ongoing legal battle in the UK regarding his security arrangements, which has reportedly exacerbated tensions with his father and other members of the Royal family.

Harry is embroiled in a contentious debate over his entitlement to security while in the UK, having forfeited his automatic right to police protection upon relinquishing his role as a senior Royal. People also reports that Harry holds the belief that his father has the influence to restore his security detail, a claim that has been refuted as “wholly inaccurate” by a palace insider.

The father and son are said to be ‘distant’ and not thought to be resolving their rift any time soon (Image: Getty Images)

Prince Harry was in the UK recently but failed to see his father whilst in the country (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

A pal of Prince Harry has disclosed to a magazine that the Duke finds himself hitting a wall when trying to connect, saying, “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.”

Another mate chimed in with concerns, noting, “Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father,” while an insider claimed, “Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs.”

The Duke of Sussex is currently contesting the rejection of his High Court case against the Home Office over the decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) to alter his security arrangements in the UK. In a confidential session, Harry voiced his deepest anxieties about the possibility of losing his police protection and has openly criticised the proceedings.

But it’s not just with his father that Harry’s relations are strained; he’s also distanced from his elder brother, Prince William. The siblings are believed to be out of close contact, marking a significant shift from their past closeness.

Despite this, there’s talk that Harry is eager to mend fences, particularly during his latest visit, where he was reportedly keen on reconciling with William. A source informed The Express: “Harry really is keen to try to salvage some kind of relationship or even reopen dialogue. They have not had any full-length conversations or discussions since they had some time together around the Queen’s passing.

“And some of us saw Harry being so close to his brother as a gesture of saying ‘hey I am here, close by… what about us trying to work things out’? The sad thing is that many of us, within Harry’s friends’ circles, feel he wants to somehow make peace and return to talking terms.”