Prince Harry broke his six-month silence by reaching out to his estranged father, King Charles, with a special call to extend wishes for his 75th birthday. This marked the first contact between the two since April this year, just before Charles’s coronation as King.
Described as a friendly exchange, it reportedly signals a potential thawing in the strained ties. Plans were made for another conversation, and the UK-based Sun reports that Charles remains open to communication, even extending an open invitation for Harry’s visit to the UK.
However, the British newspaper report cautions that while a phone call is a positive step, it doesn’t instantly heal deeper issues highlighted in Harry’s memoir and Netflix series, “Spare.” In his explosive book, Harry had labeled his father as emotionally stunted and ineffectual. While the call could be seen as an olive branch, strained relations with Prince William and Queen Camilla might persist.
According to the Sun, Royal sources maintain that Charles has always loved both of his sons, but the extent of communication has been minimal. The King celebrated his birthday with a private gathering of close friends and family at Clarence House. Initial reports of Harry’s absence from the celebration were later clarified by his spokesperson, asserting that he wasn’t invited.
Harry’s spokespersons in the US had earlier dismissed reports suggesting he snubbed Charles’s birthday invite, saying he hadn’t been invited and had no contact with Buckingham Palace staff. The outreach from Harry is significant as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex navigate their lives post-royalty. The call and potential future interactions could play a role in mending the rift created over the years.
While there’s a sense of optimism after the phone call, UK media reports stress that addressing the deeper issues will take time. The complexities highlighted in Harry’s book, where he cast his father as an “old man” and his brother as an “arch-nemesis,” are not easily resolved with a phone call, the reports said.
