Prince Harry and King Charles silence: Prince Harry’s distance from his father, King Charles, has grown as a result of his desperate attempt to keep his wife and children safe.
The 39-year-old Duke of Sussex’s father was noticeably missing from the celebration in May when he came to the United Kingdom to mark the tenth anniversary of one of his greatest results, the Invictus Games.
Harry’s visit prevented the two from meeting, which the prince’s representative blamed on the King’s “full schedule.” Sources close to Harry, however, point to a more serious problem. Harry wanted to talk about his legal fight for security, which he has been waging for over four years. Harry feels that Charles, 75, has the authority to reinstate. (A royal source tells PEOPLE that the idea that Charles is in charge of Harry’s security is “wholly incorrect.”) Buckingham Royal will not comment on safety precautions.
Sharp criticism and unsolved tensions have characterized the family divide that first came to light in the year 2020 when Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, withdrew from their royal duties. But in this week’s special cover story, several well-placed insiders in Harry’s entourage tell PEOPLE that security is the one issue that he can not seem to get enough of.
The father and son had a good meeting in February after the King’s cancer diagnosis, but since then, their contact has become less effective. According to those close to Prince Harry, the queen no longer answers his son’s calls or writes back.
“He gets ‘not available right now,'” another of Harry’s friends said. His calls are not returned. He has made attempts to enquire about the King’s condition, but his calls are also not returned.”
Despite their growing distance, Prince Harry has reportedly requested his father for assistance numerous times because he continues to have serious concerns about the well-being of his family, which includes Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
A royal insider tells the public that Harry is scared and believes his father is the only one who can help. As stated by another person with direct knowledge of the matter, “Harry has a resolve to protect his relatives at all costs.”
The argument is becoming hotter now. In the July 25th U.K. broadcast of the ITV program Tabloids on Trial, Prince Harry expressed his concerns that unfavorable press coverage would incite a violent assault against his spouse.
He stated, “All it takes is one lone actor,” explaining his decision to keep Meghan, 42, Archie, 5, and Lilibet, 3, in the United Kingdom despite these “genuine concerns.”
In an attempt to reinstate his taxpayer-funded protection earlier this year, the Duke of Sussex lost in court. He has since taken the fight to the legal arena. (He intends to file an appeal.)
There is fierce disagreement on what is preventing Harry from obtaining the protection he desires. According to the constitution, the Executive Board for the Security of Royal and Important Figures (RAVEC), which represents the British government, is the authority to provide police security for the queen.
Harry, however, argues that as King, Charles might step in to make sure that such protection is given. Harry’s offer to personally pay for police security was also turned down in court.
Harry and Charles are separated by an unbreakable barrier as a result of the problem. According to the buddy, the King is now speaking in “complete silence” instead of becoming frustrated.
According to persons close to both the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with who are relocating to Montecito, California, the palace is aware of what transpired when Princess Diana departed the royal life and quickly overshadowed the establishment.
The source claims, “Charles’ fear is a recurrence of the past.” “His wife made headlines, eclipsed his work, and rose to international stardom after she filed for divorce from the institution. It was not his intention to watch his son and his wife go.”
One of the main reasons Meghan and Harry claim they decided to go was safety. The Duchess of Sussex has admitted to considering suicide, citing unfavorable news coverage and a lack of royal backing during her tenure as a working royal.
According to the buddy, the couple “did not feel they had a choice.” For their own sanity, leaving was the only choice. They probably believed that once they emerged from this bubble, people would pay less attention to them.
Prince Harry left the Sandringham Summit in January 2020, which resolved their future as non-working royals. Future King Charles, Prince William, Queen Elizabeth, and palace staff were there, and Prince Harry left with the assurance that their security would be maintained during their transition. Additionally, according to court records, the Queen, who passed away on September 8, 2022, at the age of 96, thought that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex needed “effective security” following their departure. Harry, however, learnt a few weeks later that their police cover had been terminated.
“The Queen made it clear that efficient protection was required due to the threats against them, but someplace along the line there was interference,” a royal insider said.
Ultimately, it was RAVEC that implemented the security reduction. The Royal Household, the Metropolitan Police, and the Home Office—the UK equivalent of Homeland Security—are among its members. The King’s staff is represented on RAVEC, despite the King having no direct role in the organisation. According to a government spokesman, they offer “strict and appropriate” security and withhold information “because doing so might compromise their reliability and affect the security of individuals.”
Harry believes his father is the obstacle, despite the palace’s denials, and his staff has noticed that the government has not updated the Sussexes’ yearly threat assessment since 2019.
The decision made by RAVEC can also have effects abroad. Other nations will probably similarly safeguard themselves if the United Kingdom does.
When Harry and Meghan moved to the United States in 2020, they had to find ways to make ends meet since the King had cut off their other sources of funding. They quickly struck deals for Harry’s successful book deal for his 2023 autobiographies Spare and the couple’s 2022 Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.
According to people close to them, one of the main reasons they decided to go to California was so they could have armed security personnel there. These sources cite regular threats on social media, possible break-ins at home, and scary events like a wild media chase in the city of New York in May 2023.
Torchstone Global Security senior vice president Joe Funk says, “The U.K. state acknowledges multiple threats against them, yet we are not privy to particular details because of the lack of cooperation.” Torchstone Global Security manages the couple’s safety in the United States.
Fifth in line for the throne Prince Harry is also concerned about the safety of the general people while he goes out and about the risk to his staff.
An ex-Archewell Foundation employee said, “The staff is concerned when they travel with them.”
According to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, Harry and Meghan’s decision to abdicate their royal duties should not affect how protected they are: “This is the King’s son, working royal or not.”
Harry and Meghan both received among the most severe threat assessments within the royal family, according to Neil Basu, a former head of terrorist for the Metropolitan Police, who spoke out about the fact that Meghan faced significant threats while in the United Kingdom. (Several people have been detained and imprisoned in previous years for threatening the couple.)
Harry’s high threat level is a result of his military experience, international renown, and marriage to a woman of mixed race, according to Basu, who speaks with PERSONS.
Any chance of reconciliation seems remote at best, with both sides firmly entrenched and Harry’s brother Prince William, 42, appearing to be in line with his father.
Others close to Harry argue that if he had adequate security, he would not need to talk publicly to help pay for it. Some in the palace think that Harry’s memoir and public interviews have damaged the family’s trust in him. The friend claims that once the security issue is settled, “it’s’swords down.'”
Nothing “would bring Harry greater joy than to be able to restore his relationship with his father.” The friend continues, “In the end, bloodlines cannot be reversed. He is not pleading with his father for a better home or vehicle. He is enquiring according to the actual circumstances. He is in danger.
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