A source close to the royal family is dishing on what may very well be the real reason for King Charles and Prince Harry's fractured relationship.
For those who haven't been closely following the latest matriarch drama, let's catch up: Recently, the Duke of Sussex returned to London to honor his beloved Invictus Games on the sporting event's 10th anniversary. Royal fans and the media alike quickly speculated as to whether or not Prince Harry would spend any time with his father, King Charles, especially in the wake of the King's cancer diagnosis and ongoing treatment.
Unfortunately, the father and son never crossed paths—instead of attending the Service of Thanksgiving at St. Paul’s Cathedral, the King spent his time just a few miles away from his son's event, at the first palace garden party of the year.
Prior to the day's dueling events, a spokesperson for Prince Harry confirmed that King Charles was too busy to meet with his son during his U.K. visit.
"In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week it, unfortunately, will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program," a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex told The Telegraph.
"The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon," the spokesperson continued.
Now, a friend of the royal family is claiming that Prince Harry has essentially "forced" his father to choose between the Duke of Sussex and his wife, Queen Camilla, which is why King Charles did not spend any time with his son while he was back in London.
"Harry has made things very difficult for himself by saying such cruel and hurtful things about Camilla," the source told the Daily Beast. "Charles loves his sons, but he also loves his wife. The last few months have made it very clear how important she is; she has been the one propping up the whole edifice.”
"Harry has made it very clear, very publicly, that he despises her," the source continued. "He has forced Charles to choose, which was a very silly thing to do because Camilla and he both chose each other a long time ago.”
Royal biographer Robert Jobson explained further, telling The Sun that Prince Harry "wasn’t too complimentary about Queen Camilla in his book, Spare," which only adds to the family strife.
"He wasn’t very complimentary about her on Netflix (in his Harry & Meghan docuseries). They don’t get on," he continued. “Second, there’s not been a lot of contact. That brings its own level of complexity and drama which he (the King) doesn’t need at the moment.”
According to the report from The Mirror, there were some "difficult" negotiations surrounding a possible father-son meeting, including whether or not Queen Camilla could or would attend.
“We know that Charles likes to meet Harry with Camilla in the room, which isn’t always a popular decision,” the publication reported at the time, adding that Prince Harry reportedly did not want his mother-in-law present
“Harry was without his wife as well, so this was fraught with difficulty."
