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A royal row has reportedly broken out between the Sussex and Palace camps over who was to blame for Prince Harry and King Charles’ failure to meet last week.
Palace insiders and the Duke’s camp are apparently clashing over ‘who was avoiding whom’ in the latest behind-the-scene tussle to rock The Firm.
The Duke had jetted into capital from his home in California to attend a service at St Paul’s Cathedral marking the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
At the same time – little more than two miles away – the King was hosting a royal garden party at Buckingham Palace.
With his father still undergoing cancer treatment, sources close to the Duke claimed he had lodged a request in advance to see the King during his whirlwind trip home.
But insiders in the Palace have reportedly issued a counter-claim, suggesting the monarch was not aware of his son’s request.
They claim that no invitation had been extended by Harry’s camp for the King to join him at the Invictus service at St Paul’s.
A royal row has reportedly broken out between the Sussex and Palace camps over who was to blame for Prince Harry and King Charles failing to meet last week
The King marking his Royal Garden Party at Buckingham Palace during Harry’s visit to London
The royal father and son were just a couple of miles away from one another during the Duke of Sussex’s visit back to the UK last week – but they failed to meet, triggering an apparent blame game between their supporters
Sources have also claimed the Duke had been offered accommodation in a Royal palace, which would have simplified attempts for him to see his father to meet, during the monarch’s busy schedule of public engagements.
The fiasco has since led to briefing and counter-briefing on both sides about why their paths never crossed – and apparently blaming one another.
One source close to the King redeployed the famous phrase coined by the Queen about Harry and Meghan after Megxit, that ‘recollections may vary’, after a Sussex source told The Sunday Times: ‘I was fully expecting them to meet. I know that’s what he [Harry] wanted to happen’.
Harry needed to give 28 days’ warning to the King and the Home Office to request security arrangements for his stay, which began last Tuesday and ended on Friday when he met Meghan at Heathrow and flew to Nigeria.
A spokesman for the Duke later said a meeting would not happen due to ‘His Majesty’s full programme’, adding: ‘The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.’
The Sunday Times spoke to people close to the Sussexes who said Harry’s London visit was ‘long on the radar’ for the Palace.
‘I can’t imagine that request [from the Duke] fell through the gaps. Even if they didn’t get a request, which I don’t believe, could His Majesty not have made a request to see his son? It was widely known he was coming’, one insider said.
But friends of the King have questioned the analysis from the Sussex camp.
‘While it is true that the King is understandably wary about meeting with Harry, given the publicity circus that seems to surround all such visits, he did of course agree to see his son at the most vulnerable moment of his illness and at very short notice,’ a source said.
King Charles III makes Prince William Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps today. William took on his younger brother’s former unit – the 662 Squadron – just as Harry left Nigeria after a three-day tour with his wife Meghan
Charles and William at the Army Aviation Centre for the rare joint ceremony
Prince William steps out in his military uniform wearing the blue beret of the Army Air Corps
The Prince of Wales appeared at ease meeting troops from the aviation corps of the army – in a role his brother Harry once held
It comes on the same day the estranged Duke of Sussex will jet back from his ‘quasi-royal’ tour in Nigeria with his wife Meghan Markle
‘While he was hardly going to roll out the red carpet the moment this Invictus trip was announced, with doctors advising him to focus on his treatment and recovery, the idea that he refused to find space in his diarywell, let’s say recollections may vary once again.’
The row comes as King Charles enjoyed a rare engagement with Prince William who today officially took command of Prince Harry’s former regiment just as his brother was due to land in the UK with Meghan.
His Majesty has made his eldest son and heir Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps at a ceremony at the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, Hampshire this afternoon.
Father and son laughed as Charles handed William an Army Air Corps beret and belt as the Prince of Wales took on his younger brother’s former unit – the 662 Squadron – on the day Harry left Nigeria after a three-day pseudo-royal tour with his wife Meghan.
The Duke of Sussex served with 662 Sqn as an Apache helicopter pilot in Afghanistan, and it was widely thought he would have taken the role until he made the decision to step back from royal life in 2020 and emigrate to the US.
Father and son laughed as Charles handed William an Army Air Corps beret and belt as the Prince of Wales took on his younger brother’s former unit – the 662 Squadron
William is taking over as Colonel-in-Chief of The Army Air Corps, which would give him command over Harry’s former unit, 662 Squadron. Pictured: Prince Harry at the Founder’s Day Parade at Royal Hospital Chelsea in 2019
The Prince and Princess of Wales have both been given three new military appointments each by King Charles. Pictured: William and Kate on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the RAF centenary
William previously spent three years at the base on Anglesey, taking part in 156 search and rescue missions and saving 149 people. Pictured: The then-Duke of Cambridge at RAF Valley in Anglesey in 2012
But in a speech in front of an Apache helicopter today, Charles did not mention Harry, who flew the same aircraft in Afghanistan during two tours of duty. Instead he said William was a ‘very good pilot indeed’ – before sparking laughter by saying: ‘So that’s encouraging’.
The ceremony was two hours before the Sussexes were due to land at London Heathrow this afternoon on a British Airways flight from Abuja and are expected to board a plane to Los Angeles so they can be reunited with Archie and Lilibet in Montecito late tonight or tomorrow.
As well as the row over why Harry and Charles failed to meet, there will have been further salt in the wound because today’s engagement with the King and William was being confirmed while Harry was in the UK.
The rare joint engagement for Charles and William comes on the same day the estranged Harry is jetting back from his ‘quasi-royal’ tour in Nigeria with his wife Meghan Markle.
The Sussexes will head back to their Montecito mansion in California following their ‘rock star’ tour.
Harry and Mgehan attending the polo fundraiser event in Lagos yesterday while on their tour of Nigeria
Meghan Markle glowed in a stunning yellow dress yesterday as she and Prince Harry arrived at the State Governor house in Lagos
There were several large photographs of Harry and Meghan on show
Buckingham Palace announced last week that the King would have a joint engagement with William to pass on the role he held for 31 years to his eldest son.
Charles announced in August last year that William would be appointed as Colonel-in-Chief, while also granting the Princess of Wales three new roles.
A royal spokesperson said: ‘At the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, His Majesty The King will officially hand over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.
‘In August 2023, following His Majesty’s Accession, The King was pleased to announce military appointments including that The Prince of Wales would become Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
‘The role was previously held by His Majesty The King, as Prince of Wales, for 31 years.’
It came just two hours after Harry’s spokesman said the King was too busy to see his youngest son during his whistlestop trip to the UK to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games.
The Duke of Sussex was in London for three days last week but due to the King’s busy schedule was unable to meet his father.
Harry’s spokesperson confirmed that it was ‘unfortunately not possible’ for the pair to meet ‘due to His Majesty’s full programme’, as he returns to public duties after undergoing treatment for cancer.
Following much speculation over whether the Duke would pop in to visit his father, who he last saw in February following his shocking diagnosis, Harry’s spokesperson confirmed there was no time for a reunion.
MailOnline has approached Buckingham Palace and the Duke’s representatives for comment.
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