Prince Harry’s return to the UK this week didn’t result in a long-awaited father-son reunion—and a royal expert says it’s no accident.
According to royal author Robert Jobson, King Charles did not meet with the Duke of Sussex during his brief stay in London because Harry is simply “not a priority” for the monarch.
Although Charles and Harry were in the same country for roughly 24 hours, the King departed for a state visit to Italy on Monday—without seeing his youngest son.
Speaking to Newsweek, Jobson said: “I honestly don't think it's a priority for the King. I think it's sad, but given what's going on—he's undergoing chemotherapy, he’s very busy, and Harry hasn’t exactly enamoured himself with the Queen or his brother. Given what’s gone on, what does he expect?”
Jobson also pointed out that the King’s packed schedule and ongoing cancer treatment leave little room for unexpected changes, especially when Harry’s trip was tightly linked to his legal fight and coincided with Meghan’s podcast launch.
“The King was about to leave on a state visit. He’s not going to make a massive change to his plans just because his son’s flying in,” Jobson added. “I don’t think it’s a new phase of hostility. He’s just focusing on what he’s doing.”
The last time Charles and Harry saw each other in person was in February, shortly after the King’s cancer diagnosis was made public.
Harry, 40, arrived in the UK on Sunday ahead of a two-day court hearing regarding his appeal to reinstate full taxpayer-funded security.
The legal action challenges a 2020 decision made by Ravec (the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures) to downgrade his protection after he and Meghan Markle stepped back as senior royals.
This legal showdown comes just one day after Harry revealed to the court that he and Meghan “felt forced” to step back from royal duties, believing the institution failed to adequately protect them.
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