King Charles ‘has affection’ for Prince Harry despite tell-all ‘Spare' leaving royals ‘shaking in their boots’
Christopher Andersen, author of ‘The King,’ spoke to Fox News Digital about how the Duke of Sussex's upcoming memoir will impact the British royal family.
Prince Harry made a surprise visit this week to London, but it is believed that the Duke of Sussex never met with his father to smooth things over.
According to reports, King Charles was "too busy" to meet with his youngest son even though his state visit to Germany didn’t occur until Wednesday.
"I’m told Charles was never expecting to see Harry," royal commentator Duncan Larcombe told Fox News Digital. "Although he was in the country, Charles was too busy with Germany and the cancellation of his trip to France."
KING CHARLES, CAMILLA, QUEEN CONSORT, BEGIN NEW REIGN WITH WORLD DEBUT IN GERMANY
It is believed that King Charles III, left, never met with his son, Prince Harry, right, before he embarked on his state visit to Germany Wednesday. (Getty Images)
On Monday, Harry made a surprise appearance at London's High Court for a four-day hearing in a case against Associated Newspapers.
The company, which produces British publications like the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday, is accused of invading the privacy of notable figures like the 38-year-old, as well as Elizabeth Hurley, Sadie Frost and Elton John, among others.
It is understood that Charles, 74, was at his Highgrove estate before he embarked on his trip to Germany. His trip to France was postponed amid ongoing riots related to President Emmanuel Macron.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, leaves the High Court after attending the fourth day of a preliminary hearing in a privacy case against Associated Newspapers, the publisher of the Daily Mail, over alleged phone tapping and privacy breaches in London March 30, 2023. (Wiktor Szymanowicz/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
Numerous royal watchers have insisted that Charles snubbed his son. But royal expert Shannon Felton Spence disagrees.
"The king was scheduled to be in France before Germany. He was not even supposed to be in the U.K.," she explained. "So, Harry’s surprise trip was strategically planned for when his brother and his father would be out of town. … The political situation in France forced an unfortunate cancellation of the king’s visit, which made him unexpectedly in the U.K. for a few extra days.
"If the king is too busy to see Harry, it’s because he approached him as the king and not as a son to a father. Sometimes, your former boss is too busy to see you if you drop in on them."
Kinsey Schofield, the host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, told Fox News Digital Charles’ unwillingness to carve out time for his son "was a stark example of consequence."
King Charles III and Camilla, queen consort, arrive at the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, March 30, 2023, in Berlin, Germany. (Samir Hussein/Pool/WireImage)
"The king’s diary is typically built months in advance," she explained. "[But] the idea that the king had this time off and chose not to engage with his son tells me that Charles does not trust his boy. He does not want any drama before the coronation, and he clearly thinks Harry’s grievances are petty. If Harry and Meghan attend the king’s coronation, they should bring their parkas because things are going to be ice cold."
Schofield said it’s easy to see why Charles didn’t meet with Harry. In promoting his explosive memoir "Spare," which was published in January, Harry accused his stepmother Camilla, the queen consort, of leaking private conversations to the media to burnish her own reputation.
In December, Harry and his wife launched a six-part docuseries on Netflix, which detailed their struggles with royal life.
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"This is a direct result of Harry's selfish actions," Schofield claimed. "He hurt so many people in the process of making his Netflix special and selling his book ... he has alienated his family. Time heals all wounds, but Harry has got to stop lobbing grenades.
"And while we're on the subject ... I will tell you that I believe Harry's team likely leaked this story for sympathy. Because what is Prince Harry if not a perpetual victim? He might not be allowed to wear a uniform at the coronation, but perhaps we can find him a pacifier."
Harry’s surprise visit marked the first time he returned to his home country since the death of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September. According to reports, he informed both Charles and his brother Prince William that he would be in the U.K. for the proceedings.
William and his family are on vacation. The Prince and Princess of Wales are known to escape Anmer Hall, their country home, whenever their three children are off from school.
Prince William and wife Kate Middleton are said to be on vacation with their three children: Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis. (Jon Super-WPA Pool)
"It wasn't to be expected that King Charles and Harry would see each other during his surprise visit this week," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. "Harry didn't even have to appear in court. But he made a statement about how strongly he feels about the British media, especially the tabloids, just by appearing.
"However, his attacks on the monarchy, especially since December and the publication of his memoir together with the interviews he gave to promote it, have made a reconciliation between the royal family and the Sussexes all but impossible," Fitzwilliams claimed. "A meeting would have been fruitless as anything said to him might be repeated. We await hearing if the Sussexes will attend the coronation. It is a most unhappy situation."
"Let's put it this way: Neither side in this bitter family dispute is willing to give an inch," said Christopher Andersen, author of "The King." "They seem to be more dug in than ever. The king is certainly not about to drop everything because Harry has flown into town, and even if Harry were to make some overture at this point — which he won't — Charles' schedule is packed during the walkup to the coronation."
It's unclear whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will attend King Charles' coronation May 6. (Florian Gaertner/Photothek via Getty Images)
On March 5, a spokesperson for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex confirmed that Harry had received "email correspondence" from the king’s office about the coronation.
"An immediate decision on whether the duke and duchess will attend will not be disclosed by us at this time," the couple’s office said in a statement.
Speculation about whether the couple would be invited to the coronation has raged since the release of Harry’s memoir, which contained damning allegations of intrigue behind the palace walls. The disclosures, including details of private conversations with his father and brother, fanned tensions between Harry and his family that became public when he and his wife moved to North America in 2020.
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their home in the U.K. (Getty Images)
Earlier this month, the Sussexes acknowledged they were asked to vacate Frogmore Cottage, their home in the U.K. The Sun newspaper reported that Charles asked them to relinquish the dwelling Jan. 11, a day after Harry’s book was published.
Royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital Harry would have known that the royals plan their schedules far in advance, making it unlikely that he would meet with his father while in town.
"Harry was told, notably by palace staff and not the king himself, that the king was ‘busy’ despite his state visit to France, planned to commence on Monday, having been canceled due to the French rioting regarding the proposed pension reforms," she explained. "The cancellation took place just three days prior. So, the king claimed to be busy preparing for the German segment of the long-planned tour."
King Charles III visiting the Brodowin eco-village in Chorin March 30, 2023, in Brandenburg, Germany. (Rainer Keuenhof-Pool/Getty Images)
"For his part, Harry knows full well that the palace plans many months in advance, so short notice is unlikely to yield results," she continued. "Perhaps Harry appearing in London at the High Court on Monday unannounced to attend the court case was testing the waters, taking one link at a time in the chain of destiny to help the couple decide whether to attend the coronation. It would be testing the public’s reaction and reception certainly, rather than meeting with any members of the royal family. It would rather indicate it’s the former not the latter."
But, aside from the coronation, there may be another reason Harry may be in the U.K. this May. The prince, along with several others, is bringing damages claims against Mirror Group Newspaper over unlawful information gathering. That trial is scheduled for May 9, three days after the coronation. It’s unknown whether Harry will make an appearance in that case.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing what they described as unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media. They now live in California.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in the wealthy, coastal city of Montecito, Calif. (Chris Jackson via Getty Images)
Harry has said he wants to make reforming the British media his life’s work. In "Spare," he blamed an overly aggressive press for the 1997 death of his mother and also accused the media of hounding his wife.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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