Disgraced ex-PM Boris Johnson essentially squared up to King Charles for allegedly branding his policy of deporting asylum seekers to Rwanda "appalling", it has been claimed.
In extraordinary comments, former No10 Director of Communications under Mr Johnson, Guto Harri, claimed the former PM "went in quite hard" on the then-Prince.
He also claimed Mr Johnson, who was ousted from No10 last year, warned Prince Charles against making a speech on slavery due to demands to "pay reparations" that could follow.
The exchange came after reports in June 2022 that the future King privately criticised the controversial Rwanda plan, which is still going through the courts.
The ex-PM and monarch met in Rwanda's capital of Kigali at a Commonwealth summit the same month and at the time Mr Johnson described his discussion with Charles as a "good old chinwag" that "covered a lot of ground".
But writing in the Daily Mail, Mr Harri, a former BBC journalist, claimed: "What actually happened was less amicable.
"'I went quite hard,' he told me at the time, essentially squaring up to the Prince and confronting him about what he - as unelected royalty - had said about the actions of a democratically elected Government."
He went on: "Prince Charles was busted. He had obviously expressed some criticism, and though he tried to play it down, Boris pointed out the obvious, [saying]: 'If you didn't say it we both know your people could ring the newspapers and kill the story.
"The fact they haven't done that says it all".
Mr Harri said the encounter was captured on camera, "but no one could hear the two men's conversation", adding: "This lasted about 15 minutes and the pictures gave no hint of any serious discord".
The former No10 Director of Communications also went on to claim relations "never fully recovered" between Mr Johnson and the then-Prince.
"And our new King will be relieved that Boris had left No10 by the time he ascended the throne.
Mr Johnson, who attended the King's Coronation at the weekend, disputed his long-standing ally's account as "inaccurate" on Tuesday.
A source close to Mr Johnson said: "Boris Johnson does not recognise this account and it is inaccurate. It does not accurately reflect any conversation.
"We would never comment on these matters and Mr Johnson deplores any attempt to do so."
In 2022 Clarence House did not deny that the Prince of Wales was opposed to the migrant plan, in a comment given to The Mirror - but insisted he would not attempt to influence government policy.
A spokesperson at the time said: “We would not comment on supposed anonymous private conversations with the Prince of Wales, except to restate that he remains politically neutral. Matters of policy are decisions for government.”
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