Prince Harry is reportedly eyeing a return to the U.K. to work as a part-time royal for six months but his wife, Meghan Markle is not keen on the idea.
Royal author Tom Quinn claimed that the Duke of Sussex wants to help his father, King Charles III, who is battling cancer while serving as monarch. He said news about his cancer "visibly shocked and upset" the 39-year-old.
So much so, that he immediately paid his father a visit in London. Prince Harry saw his father at Clarence House on Feb. 6, a day after Buckingham Palace announced the King's cancer diagnosis.
"Harry was apparently visibly shocked and upset when he heard that his father had cancer. Having lost his mother aged 12 he had come to assume that, whatever their ups and downs, his father would enjoy the longevity enjoyed by the late Queen and Prince Philip," Quinn told the Mirror UK.
He added: "For all his complaints in 'Spare' and in various TV interviews, Harry is still a lost little boy underneath and on hearing that his father was ill, I'm told that he immediately wanted to do something practical to help, but he will have known that his offer to help could be made safe in the knowledge that it would be rejected. And even if Harry was allowed back temporarily his wife would not be part of the package."
Quinn, author of the 2023 book "Gilded Youth: An Intimate History of Growing Up in the Royal Family," claimed that despite Prince Harry's good intentions, he believes that the duke "will not move back to the U.K. without Meghan– not even for a few months".
He said: "But he had to make the offer because anything else would have looked callous and uncaring. No one in the Royal Family wants to go back to the terrible days when Meghan and Harry and William and Kate tried to get along and failed – and caused serious damage to the image of the Royal Family."
Quinn added that Prince Harry also knows that he will "never be allowed to be a permanent part-time working royal staying six months in the States and then six months in the U.K." as the royals "no longer trust him". He claimed Meghan Markle is also against it and that "there is far too much bad blood now for it to be even a remote possibility".
However, Quinn's statements contradict what the Duke of Sussex said in a recent interview with "Good Morning America". He was asked about how he feels being away from King Charles III as he battles cancer and if he has any plans to be in the U.K. to be there for his father.
He replied: "I have my own family, as we all do. My family and my life in California is as it is."
But he shared that he has other trips scheduled that would take him through the U.K. or back to the U.K. Then he will pay his family a visit as much as he can.
EXCLUSIVE: Prince Harry to @ReeveWill on visiting King Charles after cancer diagnosis: “I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see and spend anytime with him, I’m grateful for that.” https://t.co/yDp82WU7Bk pic.twitter.com/lO0cebeO9i
— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 16, 2024
The Duke of Sussex also shared that he learned about the cancer diagnosis from King Charles III himself. He shared: "I spoke to him. I jumped on a plane and went to go see him as soon as I could."
Prince Harry admitted that he is grateful to have been able to get on a plane and see his father and spend any time with him. Albeit, it was a short meeting, reportedly only 30 minutes. He did not say what transpired during their conversation and when asked about his outlook on King Charles III's health, the duke said: "That stays between me and him."
