Royals
Prince William ‘Can Appreciate’ Why King Charles Reunited With Prince Harry But ‘Wouldn’t Have Done It Himself’
Though Prince Harry was back in the United Kingdom and reunited with his father, King Charles III, seeing brother Prince William is an entirely different story.
The Duke of Sussex, 41, and the Prince of Wales, 44, have seemingly been estranged since Harry and wife Meghan Markle stepped back from their senior royal duties in 2020 and moved to California.
Now that Harry and Meghan, 44, live on the West Coast with son Prince Archie, 7, and daughter Princess Lilibet, 5, it’s been years since the whole family has been together.
However, Buckingham Palace confirmed (via People) that the king, 77, and his wife, Queen Camilla, hosted the Sussexes last week at Highgrove House in Gloucestershire, England. It marked the first in-person meeting between the children and their grandfather in four years.
“Prince William probably understands why his father did it, even if he wouldn’t have done it himself,” royal expert Kinsey Schofield told Page Six in an article published Monday, July 13.
“[William] can appreciate that a father living with cancer wants to see his son and grandchildren, while still believing that Harry has not earned his way back into the family’s confidence,” Schofield added, explaining that William’s “priority” is “protecting the institution he’ll one day inherit.”
The father of three — who shares Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 11, and Prince Louis, 8, with Princess Kate, 44 — is next in line for the throne, and it’s become increasingly clear that the crown comes first.
“In his mind, the issue has never been whether Harry is family; it’s whether Harry can be trusted,” Schofield said. “One afternoon at Highgrove doesn’t answer that question. King Charles can afford to think about legacy. Prince William has to think about longevity.”
“A father can forgive. A monarch still has to protect the Crown,” Schofield pointed out. “One meeting is easy. Rebuilding trust is extraordinarily difficult.”
During Harry’s recent visit, he and William seemingly didn’t see each other.
