King Charles’s decision to "stay out" of his son’s "quarrels" might have inadvertently been more of a hindrance than help. Writing in The Windsor Legacy, royal author and former correspondent Robert Jobson reflected on the "crisis" that engulfed the Sussexes and Waleses amid bullying allegations Meghan Markle faced.
The Duchess denied the claims, though Robert notes that "allegations persisted, fuelled by their former press secretary Jason Knauf’s formal complaint in 2018".
"William, worried, yet estranged from Harry, felt unable to approach his brother to defuse the crisis," the author wrote. "Charles may well have wanted to intervene and knock some sense into his two sons, but he chose to stay out of their escalating quarrels."
His Majesty reportedly "hoped that silence might lead to eventual healing", with a close source adding that he "hates direct confrontation". Yet, sadly, in Robert’s view, his optimism that the Princes would "see the bigger picture" was seemingly misplaced.
The author put forward his opinion that, "In hindsight, [the King’s] hands-off approach only deepened the rift" between the brothers. Since Prince Harry and Meghan stepped back as working royals in 2020, King Charles’s sons have only reunited in public a handful of times.
The most recent occasion was at their father’s coronation, where William, as first in the royal line of succession, took a key role. Prince Harry was seated a few rows back, next to Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank. He left shortly after the service to return to California, as the coronation was on Prince Archie’s birthday.
This May, Prince Harry told the BBC that he would love a "reconciliation" with his family and in September he had his first face-to-face meeting with King Charles in over a year at Clarence House. Although he spent several days in the UK, it’s understood that he didn’t see William.
The Prince of Wales did mention his brother by name during a conversation with Eugene Levy on Apple TV+’s The Reluctant Traveler released a few weeks later.
Discussing the future he wants to create for Prince George, he declared, "I hope we don’t go back to some of the practices of the past, that Harry and I had to grow up in. And I’ll do everything I can to make sure we don’t regress in that situation."
This remark might have surprised some viewers and perhaps offer some hope that the "healing" King Charles once hoped for might happen someday, if not now. Whilst Robert Jobson has alleged His Majesty initially avoided intervening, the Duke of Sussex wrote in his memoir, Spare, about a plea he made to his sons after Prince Philip’s funeral in 2021.
He claimed King Charles stood between his sons "looking up at [their] flushed faces", declaring, "Please, boys. Don’t make my final years a misery."
So much has happened since then and after his September tea with his father, Prince Harry could possibly be planning more trips to the UK in 2026.
