King Charles and Prince Harry have practically seen their relationship dissolve in recent years. Harry felt that his father didn’t think he was quite as important as Prince William for many years – the reason he decided to name his tell-all memoir Spare was no mere coincidence.
Harry’s relationship with the Royal Family has been troubled for many years. He and his brother, Prince William, don’t speak at all these days, while his father is said to be furious with what his estranged son has said and done of late.
While reports about whether peace talks could be on the table continue to differ, Prince Harry is making his own career moves. The fact that he and Meghan Markle have embarked on two so-dubbed “royal” tours this year wasn’t lost on his father, with reports suggesting Charles isn’t even taking Harry’s calls now.
In fact, one rather shocking claim about the phone calls has been made, implying that King Charles has one brutal reaction whenever he learns that Harry is trying to phone him.
In 2020, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan felt that enough was enough. The Sussexes declared that they would be leaving their senior royal roles and and settled in sunny Montecito, California not long after. There they raised their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and focused on a new chapter in their lives.
Harry’s book Spare shocked the royal community with its release in January last year. The Duke and his wife had already leveled some accusations at the Royal Family, but what was revealed in the book sent the royals into turmoil.
It was the final nail in the coffin regarding Harry’s relationship with Prince William and Kate Middleton. Not only that, but Harry’s bond with his father also took another damaging hit.
What Prince Harry said about King Charles in ‘Spare’
Harry revealed many details in Spare, including elements of his childhood and how his father behaved. As per the Duke, the fact that he wouldn’t be as important as his older brother had already been established on the day of his birth.
That Harry was unhappy with how Charles acted after his mother’s death – Harry claimed his father didn’t even hug him to console him – is no secret. And in Spare, Harry mentioned how he believed that, as the book’s title confers, he was his family’s “spare” member.
He even claimed he knew he was born in case his big brother William needed blood or an organ donation.
“I was the shadow, the support, the plan B,” Harry wrote. “I was brought into the world in case something happened to Willy, I was summoned to provide backup, distraction, diversion … This was all made explicitly clear to me from the start of life’s journey.”
The word “spare” has been synonymous with Harry and his feelings about his role in the Royal Family. He even claimed that Charles was the first to say the word.
Harry told a story in his book about a “joke” his father “allegedly” told Diana the day he was born.
“‘Wonderful! Now you’ve given me an heir and a spare — my work is done,’” Harry wrote of his dad’s words in Spare.
“On the other hand, minutes after delivering this bit of high comedy, Pa was said to have gone off to meet with his girlfriend,” Harry said, referring to now-Queen Camilla. “So, many a true word spoken in jest.”
“Don’t even think about talking about my wife like that”
As per many reports, Meghan Markle was also something of an outsider within the royal sphere. She was part of the Royal Family for some years, but when Queen Elizabeth II died, Meghan wasn’t welcome to travel to Balmoral with Harry to say her final goodbyes.
Then-Prince Charles and Princess Anne were the only ones who made it to Balmoral before the late monarch took her last breath. Prince William traveled with Prince Andrew, Prince Edward, and Sophie Wessex, but Kate Middleton didn’t travel with them.
Instead, she stayed in London to pick up Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis from school and prepared to tell them what had happened.
As mentioned, Meghan was apparently not welcome in Blamoral. In his book, Harry wrote about the horrific moment he found out about the Queen’s passing, as well as what his father told him about Meghan not being welcome.
“When the plane started to descend, I saw my mobile phone light up. It was a message from Meg, ‘Call me as soon as you read this.’ I checked the BBC webpage. My grandmother had died. My father was the King. I put on a black tie. stepped off the plane into heavy drizzle.”
Harry continued: “Then my father called again. He told me I was welcome at Balmoral, but… without her. He started to explain his reasons, but they didn’t make any sense at all, and it was disrespectful as well. I did not tolerate it from him. ‘Don’t even think about talking about my wife like that.’ Repentant, he said, stammering, that he simply didn’t want the place to be full of people.”
“‘Nobody’s wife was going to go, not even Kate,’ he told me, ‘so Meg shouldn’t either,’” he concluded.
King Charles is not answering Prince Harry’s calls, per source
Much has been said about Prince Harry and King Charles’ relationship recently. When the monarch was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, Harry decided to travel to the UK and see his father to express his support.
Although King Charles is said to be “heartbroken” about not getting to see his grandchildren across the Atlantic, one line appears to have been crossed with his son, which has a no-turning-back clause.
Just weeks ago, a source close to Harry claimed his father no longer takes his calls.
“He gets ‘unavailable right now,’” the source told People Magazine. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”
It’s well-known that Harry and Meghan have decided not to travel to the UK because of security issues. The couple feel that they and their children aren’t safe with the present plan, which includes them having to pay for security themselves and not benefitting from any assistance from the Royal Family.
According to People, Harry is preparing to appeal a court ruling that upheld the decision denying him security in the UK. An insider told the US news outlet that Harry wants to reinstate his security, which in the long run would mean more flexibility when he, his wife, and their two children visit the UK.
King Charles has ‘brutal reaction’ when Prince Harry rings, expert claims
However, though the matter of security is essential for Harry, there is, sadly, another layer of importance that it plays. According to a royal insider, speaking to People Magazine, whether Harry and his family get security when visiting the UK or not plays a crucial role in the Duke’s relationship with his father.
“Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father,” a royal insider told People.
Perhaps a new claim about King Charles’s interest in speaking to Harry gives royal fans all the information needed to understand the situation between the father-son duo.
According to royal commentator Emily Andrews, King Charles has a harsh reaction whenever an aide approaches him with a phone to inform him that Harry is on the line.
“Now, even his own father is not taking his calls. I’m told that when courtiers bring the phone to the King (Charles doesn’t have his own mobile phone) he waves them away in irritation,” she told the Mirror.
“This is not because there’s been yet another falling out,” Andrews added. “Rather, it is thought to be because Harry wants to continuously discuss his ongoing battle for security, which he has been fighting in the court for four years and believes Charles has the power to reinstate.”
Prince Harry ‘at risk’ of being stripped from line of succession
It certainly seems as though Harry has burned all bridges with regards making amends with the Royal Family. And if King Charles wanted, he could get revenge on Harry moving forward.
Every August, the Royal Family gathers at Balmoral to spend time together. At the same time, the “royal summit” also includes meetings about what is to come. According to the Express, one subject this year was the matter of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
A source told the UK newspaper that discussions were held about removing Harry from the line of succession.
“The order of succession can be altered by statute if a member of the Royal Family permanently resides outside the UK and no longer undertakes royal duties,” the source told Express. “If that were to happen, Harry’s children could also be removed from the line of succession.”
Robert Blackburn, professor of constitutional law at King’s College London, told the Express that while Harry lives abroad, it is not a legal disqualification for becoming monarch. By an Act of Parliament, the Duke can be removed from the line of succession.
“Like Edward VIII, Prince Harry does not wish to perform the role of royalty expected of him and has withdrawn to live abroad. Presumably therefore Prince Harry would be agreeable to abdicate his place in succession if for any reason this became an issue in royal affairs being legislated upon,” said Blackburn.
Robert Blackburn explained that while King Charles and the royals may want to remove Harry from the line of succession, it’s ‘customary’ that the British Government, not the monarch, takes the initiative to put forward a bill like that.
Still, removing Harry from the line of succession could be tricky, the professor said.
“The only possible scenario, as I see it, is for there to be a Government Bill being prepared on another royal issue, such as an amendment to the Regency Act dealing with eligible counsellors of state, and a clause being added at the same time which Prince Harry himself requests that removes him from the line of succession as a mark of him clearly wishing to relinquish all ties to the public work of the Monarchy and Royal Family,” Robert Blackburn told the Express.
