Prince Harry’s interview in ITV’s Tabloids on Trial has really changed several narratives all at once. Harry spoke about the threats he and his family face, and his years-long attempts to get RAVEC to assure his family’s security while in the UK. Even as King Charles and his people try to spin Harry’s comments into a “woe is Charles, Harry refuses to bring his kids to the UK” narrative, almost everyone acknowledges that if Charles wanted to, he could easily assure the Sussexes’ security within the UK any time he wanted. Even royal sources acknowledge that quite openly, which has meant that no one buys whatever Charles is selling. Not only that, “sources close to Harry” are doing a significant amount of pushback on Charles’s attempted sympathy-grab. Speaking of, this whole situation is this week’s People Magazine cover story. It’s a long-ass piece too. Some highlights:
Harry & Charles didn’t meet in May: When the Duke of Sussex, 39, returned to the U.K. in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of one of his proudest achievements, the Invictus Games, his father was notably absent from the ceremony. The two were unable to meet during Harry’s visit, which the prince’s spokesperson attributed to the King’s “full schedule.” However, sources close to Harry suggest a deeper issue. Harry wanted to discuss his ongoing battle for security, which he has been fighting for in court for more than four years and believes Charles, 75, has the power to reinstate. (Buckingham Palace will not comment on security provisions, but a palace source tells PEOPLE the notion that Harry’s security is in Charles’s hands is “wholly incorrect.”)
Charles no longer takes Harry’s calls or responds to his letters: Despite a positive meeting between the father and son in February following the King’s cancer diagnosis, their communication has since deteriorated. Those close to Prince Harry say the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or responds to his letters. “He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ ” says a friend of Harry’s. “His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.”
Harry’s priority is his family’s safety: Amid the estrangement, Prince Harry remains deeply concerned for the safety of his wife and children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, and has, according to sources, repeatedly asked his father for help. “Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father,” a royal insider tells PEOPLE. Another source close to the situation says, “Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs.”
The security issue: Exactly what is stopping Harry from securing the protection he seeks is a matter of bitter contention. Constitutionally, the monarch has no governmental power in the U.K., and the power to bestow police protection lies with the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (RAVEC), which operates on behalf of the U.K. government. But Harry, whose offer to personally cover the cost of police protection was also rejected in court, feels that as King, Charles could intervene to ensure such protection is extended. The issue has created an impenetrable wall between Harry and Charles. The conversation has now shifted from frustration to “complete silence” from the King, claims the friend.
Mindful of Charles’s ego: Sources close to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who have established a new life in Montecito, California, say the palace is mindful of what happened when Princess Diana left royal life — and instantly eclipsed the institution. “Charles’ fear is a repeat of the past,” the insider says. “When his wife divorced the institution, she took the headlines, overshadowed his work and became a global superstar. Seeing his son leave with his wife was not part of the plan.”
Why the Sussexes left the UK: The couple “didn’t feel they had a choice,” says the friend. “The only option was to leave — for their sanity. I do think they thought if they got out of this bubble, there would be less focus on them.”
Interference: Court documents also reveal that the Queen, who died on Sept. 8, 2022, at age 96, deemed it “imperative” for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to have “effective security” after their departure. Despite this, Harry was informed just weeks later that their police protection had been withdrawn. “The Queen made it clear that effective security was necessary due to the threats against them, but somewhere along the line there was interference,” the royal insider alleges.
Security costs go to the heart of why the Sussexes have made commercial deals: Harry, whose team notes that the Sussexes’ annual threat assessment has not been updated by the government since 2019, perceives the roadblock to be his father, even as the palace disputes this. Faced with covering their own security expenses — and with other financial support from the King cut off — Harry and Meghan quickly struck deals to generate income when they came to the U.S. in 2020.
Harry would love to work things with Charles: Some close to the palace suggest that Harry’s memoir and public interviews have compromised the family’s trust in him; others close to Harry counter that if he had proper security, he wouldn’t need to speak publicly in order to help pay for it. If the matter of security is resolved, says the friend, “it’s ‘swords down.’ ” Indeed, nothing “would give [Harry] more happiness than being able to rekindle his bond with his father. At the end of the day,” adds the friend, “you can’t undo bloodlines. He’s not asking his dad for a nicer house or nicer cars. He’s asking because of the reality of the situation. He is at risk.”
I find it fascinating that the Sussexes are pushing back on Charles’s attempts to dictate the narrative around security. Charles and his people keep feigning ignorance, like of course we could never intervene in a security issue, and of course we have no idea why Harry would even need security! Harry is now publicly pressing his father on this. Harry is obviously publicly pressing his father for communication too – I totally believe that Charles refuses to get in touch with Harry, and that Harry has repeatedly written to Charles and tried to call only to get blocked.
The thing about Harry knowing his father doesn’t want a repeat of Diana is so sad and funny – like, Harry is telling his father, I know you’re weak and scared of being overshadowed, I understand and here’s the solution to that.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.