King Charles is said to be "absolutely devastated" by his fallout with Prince Harry, a royal expert has claimed.
The monarch is understood to be heartbroken by how his relationship with the Duke of Sussex, 38, has changed since he married Meghan Markle.
Harry was offered an olive branch by the royal family after the Queen's death and was invited on a walkabout at Windsor with Prince William and Princess Kate as the two couples thanked wellwishers who had queued to pay their respects.
Harry was also permitted to wear military uniform as the Queen's grandchildren stood vigil at the late monarch's lying-in-state inside Westminster Hall, although not at the funeral procession itself.
Katie Nicholl, author of The New Royals: Queen Elizabeth's Legacy and the Future of the Crown, told Fox News Digital that King Charles has been left dejected by his relationhip with Harry.
"He is hopeful that there will be a reconciliation. I think we saw that in the very public olive branches that were extended to Harry and Meghan," said Vanity Fair's royal editor Katie.
"Charles absolutely has been devastated by what has happened.
"If you think back just a couple of years around the time of the wedding, the relationship between Harry and his father was, I think, probably better than it ever had been."
Harry and Meghan announced they were stepping back as senior members of the royal family in 2020.
And a year later, the couple gave an explosive interview to Oprah Winfrey where Harry claimed his father stopped taking his phone calls and that he had been cut off financially.
Harry also discussed his mental health struggles and why he left the royal family in the Apple TV+ series "The Me You Can’t See", broadcast that same year.
The pair returned to the UK earlier this year for the first time since stepping down as they joined the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations. However, they kept their distance with the other family members.
It's evident that King Charles wants to reconcile his relationship with Harry and is hopeful they can do so.
In his first televised speech as monarch, he spoke of his "love for Harry and Meghan" as they continue to build their lives overseas.
And on September 13, Charles, Harry and Meghan were spotted at Buckingham Palace together as they waited for the queen’s coffin to arrive from Scotland.
It's believed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned home to California shortly after the funeral service, but it's understood that Charles remains optimistic that their relationship can be improved.
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that King Charles' coronation will take place on May 6 next year at Westminster Abbey with the service conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
May 6 is also the birthday of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's son Archie - Charles’ grandson - who will be turning four on the day.
The Abbey has witnessed 38 coronations dating back to William the Conqueror on December 25, 1066.
Unusually, the ceremony will take place on a weekend with May 6 falling on a Saturday.
Coronations have not traditionally been held on a weekend, with the late Queen’s taking place on a Tuesday.
Charles is expected to sign a proclamation formally declaring the date of the coronation at a meeting of the Privy Council later this year.
Charles is expected to sign a proclamation formally declaring the date of the coronation at a meeting of the Privy Council later this year.
However, Brits will not get to celebrate an extra bank holiday under King Charles' plans for a slimmed down coronation, sources have revealed.
After high level discussions with the government, taking in a range of factors including clashes with sporting events, the availability of Westminster Abbey and the Archbishop of Canterbury and even the likelihood of favourable weather conditions, ministers have agreed it is "highly unlikely" there will be any extra time off.
The May 6 date, decided by the committee undertaking ‘Operation Orb’, falls in a month of two bank holidays - May Day on the first and May 29, the last Monday of the month.
One possibility discussed was to move the May Day bank holiday to the following Monday, May 8, although government sources have suggested this would "cause chaos" for businesses up and down the country.
