King Charles finds himself navigating a complex landscape of family tensions and legal challenges as he contemplates reconciling with his son, Prince Harry.
Recent reports suggest that the King is wary of the potential "serious legal jeopardy" that could arise from any attempts to mend their fractured relationship, especially amid Harry's ongoing legal battles regarding his security in the UK.
The father-son duo has had a tumultuous relationship, particularly since Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped back from royal duties and relocated to the United States over four years ago.
The situation has escalated since Harry's release of his memoir, Spare, where he openly criticized his family, including King Charles and his brother, Prince William.
Recent claims indicate that Harry has been trying to discuss his security arrangements with the King, but communication appears to have broken down. He has been involved in a protracted dispute with the Home Office regarding his security, having lost the right to police protection after stepping down as a working royal.
According to constitutional experts, the King is concerned about being drawn into this legal fray, which presents a challenging dynamic.
In a newly updated edition of Charles III: New King. New Court. The Inside Story by Robert Hardman, an advisor highlights the precarious situation: "Here you have the infelicitous situation where the King's son is suing the King's ministers in the King's courts. That is pulling the King in three directions. You also have the situation where the King's son publishes accounts of private conversations, some of which have been, shall we say, wrong."
The advisor specifically references an instance in Spare, where Harry incorrectly recounts receiving news of the Queen Mother's death while at school in Eton, when in fact, he was skiing with Charles and William at the time.
The advisor warns, "So imagine the situation if the Prince were to talk to his father about his court case and then later to describe that conversation – or, worse, a conversation which was not entirely accurate. There would be serious legal jeopardy.
"Harry would only have to say, 'My father said this' and a court case could collapse. That's not just awkward. That's bad. That is deep legal and constitutional jeopardy when you are head of state and of the judiciary and it is His Majesty's Government."
Moreover, PEOPLE magazine recently reported that Harry feels his father could assist in reinstating his security, a notion dismissed as "wholly inaccurate" by a palace source.
A friend of Harry's shared that he often encounters unanswered calls when trying to reach out to the King, stating, "He gets 'unavailable right now'. His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King's health, but those calls go unanswered too."
Another friend expressed, "Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father," while another source added, "Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs."
