Prince Charles and Prince Harry stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
March 23 2025, Published 12:58 p.m. ET
Prince Harry’s dramatic exit from the royal family and his subsequent revelations in interviews and his memoir strained his relationship with his father King Charles III. Nevertheless, the monarch was moved when Harry video-called him to wish him on his 75th birthday. But the sweet moment soon turned sour when Harry allegedly leaked details about the private call to the press. An insider claimed that this shady move shattered the King’s trust.
Article continues below advertisement
According to the Telegraph, Harry reportedly recorded a sweet video of his children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to their grandfather. The video call, meant to be a private and cherished moment for the King, was leaked to the press the following day.
Article continues below advertisement
The backlash from the gross breach of privacy was swift. According to the Daily Mail‘s royal editor, Rebecca English, dubbed the move “to have crossed a line.” She shared that a source said, “A deeply private call between the King and his grandchildren and it ends up in a newspaper the next day. Really?” The King’s butler, Grant Harold, also spoke of Charles’ lack of trust in Harry. As reported by The Express, he said, “I think the trust with the royal family is a big issue and I think in the back of their minds they are always going to worry…I am sure his father would probably love to welcome him back with open arms. They have just got to be sure that what’s happened in the past few years is not going to happen again.”
Article continues below advertisement
The leaked phone call isn’t the only instance when Harry was accused of breaching the royal family’s privacy. In his memoir, Spare, he claimed that his father was ‘jealous’ of Prince William and Kate Middleton. As reported by The Independent, Harry penned, “Willy did everything he [Charles] wanted, and sometimes he didn’t want him to do much, because my dad and Camilla didn’t like Willy and Kate getting too much publicity.” He cited an example of when the King’s staff reportedly ensured that the then-Duchess of Cambridge wasn’t photographed holding a tennis racket at a public event to ensure that Charles and Camilla remained on the front page of tabloids.
Article continues below advertisement
During his infamous Oprah interview, the Duke of Sussex argued that Charles stopped communication with him because he “took matters into [his] own hands.” “I needed to do this for my family,” he stressed on the show. These claims ultimately led to sad repercussions for Harry. For instance, he reportedly was not informed about his father or Middleton’s cancer diagnosis. Charles also didn’t meet Harry when he was in London for the Invictus Games, citing instead a busy schedule.
Source link