When King Charles returned from medical leave at Easter, royalists everywhere rejoiced. Despite his recent cancer diagnosis, the monarch appeared happy and content to be among his people. Back in California, his estranged son, Prince Harry, was taking notes.
“Prince Harry was so relieved to see his dad looking so well. He has been on tenterhooks waiting for updates. Harry is sadly so far on the outs with the royals that he gets most of his information about Charles’ condition from the news,” an unnamed source told New Idea.
According to the entertainment news outlet, King Charles' good performance at the church service has "bouyed" the royal family. Still, those closest to King Charles are "cautious" about him taking on too much while undergoing treatment for an undisclosed form of cancer. The shocking diagnosis came after they had an operation in January for an enlarged prostate.
It gave Prince Harry something to think about. He claimed to be reconsidering the vendetta he and his wife, Meghan Markle, launched against the royals following their shocking departure in 2020.
“Harry’s had a moment of clarity and feels his children deserve a second chance to get to know their grandfather while he’s still active and with all his faculties. No-one knows how long we have left on this planet and it’s sad that it’s taken something like a serious health calamity for Harry to realize this,” an informant told the magazine.
According to New Idea, Prince Harry informed Meghan that he wanted to take their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, on an immediate visit with their grandfather.
“It’s quite unbelievable that those kids only know their grandpa through increasingly rare phone and video calls,” the source stated. “Charles’ diagnosis has made this all the more urgent and Harry’s doing it with or without Meghan’s support,” it went on.
It is understood that King Charles has only met Lilibet once, during the late Queen Elizabeth's jubilee in 2022. The BBC reported that it was a "emotional" time for the family.
“It was wonderful to have them back in Britain, the Prince and the Duchess were absolutely thrilled to see them,” a royal source told Express UK at the time. “The Prince of course hasn’t seen his grandson Archie for a bit of time and so it was very, very, very special to have some time with him. He hadn’t met Lilibet, his granddaughter, and so to meet her for the first time was I think very emotional, a very wonderful thing," it went on.
A source also told the Daily Mail that King Charles remains "very sad" that he does not regularly see Prince Harry and two of his grandchildren. "There's a lot of hurt on both sides, but time is a healer. For now, it is baby steps forward. It's very sad His Majesty doesn't get to see his son or his grandchildren, but there's no rush to patch things up," it went on.
Prince Harry and Meghan are expected to visit the UK in May to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games. According to a source, the Duke of Sussex may make a separate flying visit with the children—but not with his wife—in the coming days while his father is in good health. Archie will celebrate his fifth birthday on May 6.
However, while the royals have made it clear that Prince Harry and his children are always welcome, his wife is not. Meghan's feelings for her in-laws are mutual.
“Harry knows he is going to have to take Archie and Lili to London as soon as possible for somme precious time with their sick grandfather, and he’s standing firm with Meghan on this. It’s her choice to avoid his family, not the kids and they shouldn’t miss out because of it. Harry worries the kids will one day hold it against them for keeping them away,” the source stated.
Business Times has reached out to Prince Harry for comments.
