Prince Charles raised concerns over the timing of Prince William and Kate Middleton 's controversial trip to the Caribbean in March, according to one royal source.
The Prince of Wales was reportedly worried about the Cambridges' high-profile tour clashing with his own trip to the Republic of Ireland with wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.
A source close to Charles told the Daily Mail : "Ireland is one of the most important relationships so there was a little consternation over the timing to say the least. There is not usually a clash of diaries in this way."
According to the newspaper, the Cambridges' trip secured the monarchy more media coverage than the Prince of Wales' Irish tour - although a number of ill-judged photo opportunities and fierce protests sparked criticism of the Caribbean visit.
But another source close to William insisted there was no problem between father and son.
They told the Mail: "The Prince of Wales always goes away to Ireland around this time of year, so there didn't seem to be a problem."
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's visit to Jamaica was mired in controversy from the moment they touched down on the island, amid protests and impassioned calls for them to apologise for the monarchy’s role in slavery.
Campaigners and leading politicians on the Caribbean island said Prince William and Kate’s visit was “ill-timed and ill-conceived”.
The island nation is odds on to be the next British realm to remove the Queen as head of state, following on from Barbados which last year officially became a republic.
Prince Charles formally acknowledged "the appalling atrocity of slavery" in the Caribbean, saying "it forever stains our history" at the ceremony in Barbados to mark the country’s new beginning.
However, protesters gathered outside the British High Commission in Jamaica calling for slavery reparations.
Opal Adisa, a Jamaican human rights advocate, called for an apology from the royals, saying: "Kate and William are beneficiaries, so they are, in fact, complicit because they are positioned to benefit specifically from our ancestors, and we're not benefitting from our ancestors.
"The luxury and the lifestyle that they have had and that they continue to have, traipsing all over the world for free with no expense, that is a result of my great, great grandmother and grandfather, their blood and tears and sweat."
