King Charles Joked About Having Prince Harry ‘Searched’ Before Meeting Him to See if He Was ‘Taping Their Conversation’: Author
A royal author believes there is such mistrust between King Charles and Prince Harry that the monarch reportedly joked about having his son “searched” before meeting him. Why? To see if he was “taping their conversation.”
Prince Harry reportedly tried to visit with King Charles during UK visit
Prince Harry arrived in the United Kingdom on May 8 for a service honoring a decade of the Invictus Games. It was widely reported that the Duke of Sussex wanted to meet with his father during his visit.
The BBC reported that Harry’s spokesman said the King’s “full program” prevented any meeting. A statement read, “In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program. The duke, of course, understands his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
However, even if a meeting was possible, there is reportedly a high level of mistrust between the king and his youngest son, says a royal author. The Mirror quoted Tom Quinn, who shared a fascinating insight into the relationship between father and son.
Quinn stated, “When King Charles heard his son was planning to return for the Invictus Games, he joked that if he saw Harry, he would have to have him searched first to see if he was taping their conversation! And, of course, at many levels, this is no joking matter.”
None of Quinn’s remarks have been confirmed by King Charles or any palace representatives. However, the quotes are a window into how far the relationship between father and son has fallen into mistrust.
Why would King Charles feel such mistrust toward Prince Harry?
King Charles likely has mistrust toward Prince Harry for multiple reasons. First was the interview Harry and Meghan Markle gave to Oprah Winfrey in 2021, in which the couple shared details of why they left their roles as working royals behind, two years after their wedding.
During that interview, Harry revealed he was worried about “history repeating itself” for Meghan Markle. He worried that media scrutiny and royal pressures would be too much for his wife.
“My biggest concern was history repeating itself, and I’ve said that on numerous occasions, very publicly. And what I was seeing was history repeating itself,” Harry told Winfrey via a transcript published by The Sun.
“But more, perhaps. Or it’s definitely far more dangerous because then you add race in, and you add social media in. And when I’m talking about history repeating itself, I’m talking about my mother.”
In January 2023, Prince Harry released Spare, a biography of his life within the royal family. He wrote that Charles “had trouble communicating, trouble listening, trouble being intimate face-to-face.”
He continued, “On occasion, after a long multi-course dinner, I’d walk upstairs and find a letter on my pillow. The letter would say how proud he was of me for something I’d done or accomplished.”
Harry concluded, “I’d smile, place it under my pillow. But also wonder why he hadn’t said this moments ago, while seated directly across from me.”
How often has Prince Harry seen King Charles since his 2020 royal exit?
Prince Harry has seen his father infrequently since the prince quit official royal duties in 2020 and moved to California with his wife, Meghan Markle. Since then, Harry has only visited the UK a handful of times and has seen his father less than that.
It was almost two years before Harry (with Meghan) arrived in the UK, where they kept a low profile at Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee. It was their first major royal event since returning from their official duties.
Later that year, Harry and Meghan returned to the UK for other duties but remained for Queen Elizabeth’s state funeral in September. Harry attended King Charles’ coronation in May 2023 but left the United Kingdom shortly after the event’s conclusion.
Harry returned to the United Kingdom in June 2023 to sue The Mirror group of newspapers. However, he did not meet with his father during that time.
Most recently, Harry came to the United Kingdom to meet with his father upon learning of King Charles’ cancer diagnosis. He met with his father for less than half an hour before returning to the United States. Following, Harry attended a service of Thanksgiving for his Invictus Games. No royal family members attended.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle live in Montecito, California. The couple shares two children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
