If conflicts in Royal Family fester, they can cast long shadow, historian says

Staff representatives of King Charles, left, and Prince Harry met in London recently, fuelling speculation that there may be attempts to move toward healing the rift between Harry and others in the Royal Family, including his father and brother, Prince William. (Anthony Harvey/Getty Images, Alberto Pezzali/The Associated Press)

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After representatives of King Charles and Prince Harry were spotted chatting al fresco the other day, the meeting set off all manner of speculation over whether reconciliation might be in the air for the monarch and his younger son.

Despite no official comment from anyone, the U.K. media quickly took to calling the get-together at a private London club that promotes international friendship a “peace summit” or “secret talks.”

As much as there was intense interest in even a hint of rapprochement between father and son, observers were also quick to note that there was no apparent representation at the meeting from Harry’s elder brother and heir to the throne, Prince William.

“There’s a strong public interest in King Charles III, Prince William and Prince Harry in terms of this being a family saga,” Toronto-based royal author and historian Carolyn Harris said in an interview.

Many people have felt as though they watched William and Harry grieve the death of their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and grow up, Harris said. People have also seen the influence of both parents on some of the charitable causes the brothers championed.

Prince William, left; Charles, then Prince of Wales; and Prince Harry try on jackets and hats from the Canadian Olympic team uniform after being presented with them in Vancouver in 1998. (Chuck Stoody/The Canadian Press)

“And then when Prince Harry became estranged from his family when he wrote his memoirs, that attracted a great deal of comment,” Harris said. “So I think there is interest in whether there is a way back for him on a personal level, whether he can reconcile — particularly with his father.”

Reconciling with William might prove more difficult.

“William also fiercely protects the privacy of his family, and there were private moments that were shared in Prince Harry’s memoirs, so it’s possible the two brothers will never be able to reconcile,” Harris said.

Harry, who lives in California with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, is expected to be back in the U.K. in September for charitable work and other engagements.

Whether Harry and Charles will meet at that time is unknown — while Harry did make a quick trip back and had a short visit with Charles after his cancer diagnosis early in 2024, the father and son didn’t meet when Harry was in London a few months later.

Prince Harry, left, and Prince William are shown during the unveiling of a statue they commissioned of their mother Diana, Princess of Wales, on what would have been her 60th birthday, at Kensington Palace in London on July 1, 2021. (Dominic Lipinski/The Associated Press)

Harry recently lost his legal challenge to the British government regarding his security arrangements in the U.K. after he stepped down from official royal duties. At the time of that ruling in May, he told the BBC he hoped for reconciliation with members of his family.

Harry’s return in September would come at a busy time for King Charles, ITV royal correspondent Chris Ship noted.

“But most people might agree that the breakdown in the relationship between father and son is very sad, and if they could attempt to patch things up, given the King’s ongoing cancer treatment, it would be best for both sides,” Ship wrote.

That there might be a meeting between senior staff of various members of the Royal Family is nothing new.

“There’s a long tradition of members of the Royal Family communicating through their offices,” Harris said.

That, however, has its advantages and disadvantages.

“Everything’s on record, and there can be a common narrative about what’s been discussed and what’s taken place,” she said.

“But we know from Prince Harry’s own writing that he has been quite suspicious of some of the officials surrounding members of the Royal Family.”

King Charles, left, officially hands over the role of colonel-in-chief of the Army Air Corps to Prince William in front of an Apache helicopter at the Army Aviation Centre in Stockbridge, southern England, on May 13, 2024. (Kin Cheung/Getty Images)

Royal rifts — and reconciliations — are nothing new, but there are differences in the current saga.

“What’s unusual in this case is that it’s a younger son in conflict with his reigning father, whereas if we go back in time historically … often it’s between the monarch and the heir to the throne,” Harris said.

“Often what fuelled these conflicts in the past was the heir to the throne wanting to have more independence and more autonomy, and if anything — in the case of King Charles III and Prince Harry — the conflict between the King and his younger son has brought the King and his heir closer together.”

There are other differences, too, Harris suggested.