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Prince Harry Wants to Set Up a Reunion With His Father After Traveling to U.K. for Uncle’s Funeral
Prince Harry is hoping for a reunion with his father, King Charles III, during his rare trip to England for uncle Robert Fellowes’ funeral.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, flew to the United Kingdom at the last minute to be there at the Wednesday, August 28, memorial service in Norfolk, England, which was also attended by his estranged brother, Prince William.
Royal journalist Dan Wootton reported on Friday, August 30, that Charles, 75, is “concerned about Harry losing the Netflix deal and coming cap in hand asking for a cash handout,” if they meet for his son’s hoped-for reunion.
“But the risk is with the monarch, weakened as he continues to suffer from serious cancer, under pressure from Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and always more open to a ceasefire in order to live an easier life in his twilight years,” Wootton said.
Charles’ second son hadn’t seen his father in person since a brief meeting on February 6, when Harry flew to London after the monarch revealed the day prior he had been diagnosed with cancer.
Wootton claimed even that brief reunion was fraught, and things continue to be tense between father and son, “Phone calls have not been returned and the in-person meeting after his cancer announcement was moved to Clarence House instead of Sandringham so that it could be limited to less than half an hour” between Charles and Harry.
The duke’s hopes for a reunion appear to be dashed, as “in recent months, Charles, with wise encouragement from [Queen] Camilla, has finally realized dealing with Harry is a hindrance to his recovery,” the journalist added.
While the duke is hoping to reunite with his dad, the same can’t be said with his brother William, 42.
The estranged siblings sat in the back of St. Mary’s Church according to The Sun. However, the brothers didn’t sit next to one another.
“William and Harry were both there but we never saw them speak to each other and they were keeping their distance,” a source told the publication in an article published on Thursday, August 29.
A separate insider added, “I didn’t know they were there. They arrived very discreetly.”
The siblings were mourning the loss of their aunt Lady Jane Fellowes‘ husband, who died on July 29. Jane is the older sister of the brothers’ late mother, Princess Diana.
When Harry returned to London for the Invictus Games Foundation 10th Anniversary service at St Paul’s Cathedral in London on May 8, Lady Jane was in attendance to show support. However, no members of the royal family were present.
However, King Charles and Prince William didn’t appear to intentionally snub Harry. Both were busy with pre-scheduled royal duties, as William held investitures at Windsor Castle, while Charles hosted the first of several annual garden parties at Buckingham Palace.
Harry has been estranged from his family ever since he and wife Meghan Markle stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 to move to California and seek their independence from The Firm.
In the process, the couple sat down a controversial 2021 interview with CBS where they were critical of life within the royal family. It was followed by their Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, where they also lobbed shots at the royals when it debuted on December 8, 2022. The duke’s memoir, Spare, was released in January 2023. In it, he continued sharing very private family details, including a physical fight with William and the fact that his brother was uncircumcised.
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