Prince Harry and King Charles Are Afraid of History Repeating Itself for Very Different Reasons
King Charles III and Prince Harry don’t want history to repeat itself, although for different reasons. The royal father and son reportedly worry about things happening that the royal family already went through during the late Princess Diana’s time. The Duke of Sussex’s fear is said to relate to his late mother’s death, while the king’s concerns center around what happened after he and Diana divorced.
Harry doesn’t want history to repeat itself with Princess Diana
It’s something Harry’s said in many interviews since leaving royal life in 2020—he doesn’t want history to repeat itself. Particularly, in relation to Diana and being hounded by the press leading up to her 1997 death following a high-speed chase through the streets of Paris, France.
According to People, his mother’s death “weighs heavily” on Harry now that he’s a parent. He and Meghan Markle became parents to Prince Archie, 5, in 2019 before welcoming their 3-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet, in 2021.
Because of what happened with his late mother and what he himself experienced, Harry’s keeping Archie and Lili very much out of the public eye. “Harry has been reluctant to show his children publicly, not out of a desire to hide them but to protect their privacy and safety from potential threats,” a friend said.
“He wants them to lead as normal a life as possible without the fear of kidnapping or harm,” they added. “As a dad and husband, Harry is determined to ensure that history doesn’t repeat itself.”
Harry’s legal battle for taxpayer-funded security in the U.K. continues. Meanwhile, in May 2023, he, the Duchess of Sussex, and her mother, Doria Ragland, were chased by paparazzi through the streets of New York.
Harry, Meghan, Archie and Lili haven’t made an official public appearance as a family of four. Archie joined his parents on a few occasions as a baby when they still lived in England. As for Lili, she’s never made an official public appearance.
King Charles doesn’t want history to repeat itself with him being ‘overshadowed’
Sources close to Harry and Meghan claimed the king worries about history repeating itself in a different way. Specifically, what happened in the wake of his and Diana’s 1996 divorce when she reached a new level of fame.
“Charles’ fear is a repeat of the past,” an insider said. “When his wife divorced the institution, she took the headlines, overshadowed his work, and became a global superstar. Seeing his son leave with his wife was not part of the plan.”
Harry previously shared in his 2023 Spare memoir that he thought his father could be worried about Meghan overshadowing him. It started when King Charles told his younger son there wasn’t “enough money to go around” if Meghan quit acting and became a working royal, which she eventually did.
“What he really couldn’t stomach was someone new dominating the monarchy, grabbing the limelight, someone shiny and new coming in and overshadowing him. And Camilla,” Harry wrote. “He’d lived through that before and had no interest in living through it again.”
Charles and Harry aren’t currently speaking
King Charles makes two. First, Harry and his brother, Prince William, weren’t speaking. Now, it’s the same for Harry and his dad.
The security issue has, per the outlet, “created an impenetrable wall” between the father and son. (Harry plans to appeal after a February 2024 loss in court.)
The 39-year-old feels that his father, as monarch, can help him despite police protection being under the purview of the government’s Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC).
Their conversation’s gone from “frustration,” as the outlet put it, to “complete silence” from King Charles, a friend said.
Harry hasn’t seen his father since February 2024. They spent a short time together—less than an hour, per reports—after Buckingham Palace announced the king’s cancer diagnosis.
In May 2024, Harry returned to England for the 10-year anniversary of the Invictus Games. Shortly after arriving, his camp released a statement saying he wouldn’t see his father due to the king’s busy schedule.
