King Charles and Prince Harry may be on talking terms again since the duke quit life in the Royal Family in 2020, however the relationship still appears to be slightly strained.
Although Harry, 40, saw his father the King this year shortly after it was confirmed the monarch had cancer, the meeting was very brief and lasted less than an hour.
Since then, Harry, who now lives in California, has visited the UK however has not met up with his father, including during his visit to London at the end of September.
While this is reportedly because the King, 75, was resting up at Balmoral in Scotland ahead of his big Autumn Tour to Australia and Samoa, questions have still been raised about where their relationship stands, with some issues still being present.
A royal expert has also said that trust is still an issue between the pair, but that the biggest “tragedy” of the relationship is the fact the King is not frequently able to see his two grandchildren Prince Archie, five, and three-year-old Princess Lilibet.
According to The Sun, royal biographer Robert Hardman said: “Within the Royal Family, however, the feeling would persist that, as long as Prince Harry continued to be a very busy litigant, a rapprochement would be extremely difficult.
“’Even then,’ points out an aide, ‘you still have the trust issue to be resolved ‘And then, having predicated this whole case on the fact that Britain is insecure, would Harry bring the children over anyway? That is the tragedy of all this. It’s a mess – but it is not one of our making.’”
Other royal experts have also spoken out about how the King is likely to be unhappy about the lack of time he has spent with Archie and Lilibet.
Royal author Ingrid Seward claimed family “has always been important to the King” and added that it’s “sad” he doesn’t see more of his grandchildren from across the pond.
She said: “Family has always been important to the King. He remembers his own somewhat fragmented childhood as his parents were always busy doing their duty.
“It is a great sadness to him he doesn’t see more of Archie and Lilibet.”
Although the King will be surrounded by family on Christmas Day at Sandringham, it is believed Harry and Meghan will not be attending.
They are expected to spend the festive period at their £11 million Montecito mansion.
