Harry and Charles could meet again after their emotional reunion, but there is no sign of a thaw in the ‘incredibly fractured’ relationship between the Duke of Sussex and his brother William, royal experts say.
Prince Harry flew 5,000 miles from California yesterday to see his father for 45 minutes after Charles’ shock cancer diagnosis – making him the first family member to visit the ailing king.
But while Harry’s transatlantic adventure raised hopes that he would continue to heal his family’s wounds, there has been “no sign” of a reunion between the two royal brothers.
BBC Royal correspondent Daniella Ralph said the chances of a reconciliation between the two siblings remain unlikely given their ongoing feud.
“It’s a brother-sister relationship that still looks incredibly fractured. We do not know if either side contacted in any way, if any attempts were made to reach a truce. As things stand now, there seems to be nothing to indicate that,” she told Radio 4.
King Charles and Queen Camilla attend Sunday service at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene on the Sandringham Estate on February 4
Prince Harry is seen in the car as he arrives at Clarence House to meet his father, King Charles
There’s no sign of a thaw in William and Harry’s ‘incredibly fractured’ relationship as their father receives treatment for cancer
It is likely that Harry will not see Princess Catherine, who is recovering from surgery, during his stay in London
‘You have to read that as a sign of the state of their relationship, there is nothing in the diary that they have to meet while Harry is in Britain.
“It also means that Harry will not visit his sister-in-law, the Princess of Wales, who has been ill, someone he was once close to.”
Harry is unlikely to visit his brother’s wife Kate as she recovers at home with her husband and three children – George, Charlotte and Louis – who recently underwent abdominal surgery.
Of Harry’s meeting with Charles, Mrs Ralph said: ‘This is a father and son who have seen very little of each other over the last four years.
‘The relationship has been incredibly tense and complicated.
‘It mattered that Harry was here, it mattered that the King wanted to see him.
‘Very different when it comes to his brother the Prince of Wales, Harry and William will not see each other.’
The Duke of Sussex was the first family member to visit Charles after his shock diagnosis was made public.
According to The Telegraph, a new visit from Harry to his father has not been ruled out, but it is clear that the duke will not visit his older brother during his stay in London.
Royal biographer Robert Hardman told Radio 4 that it is common for feuding families to ‘come together’ in times of crisis.
Mr Hardman said: ‘In times of crisis, families come together and I think everyone will be happy to see that.
‘I think there is a bit of a business as usual feeling and that is very much a message that the palace is trying to get across, but if we see a number of bridges being built along the way then that must be a good sign.’ thing.’
It’s possible that Charles delayed his flight back to Sandringham from Buckingham Palace yesterday so he could spend a few more precious minutes with his youngest son.
The royal helicopter that picked up the king and queen circled Surrey for almost 13 minutes to delay its arrival at Buckingham Palace.
King Charles is seen with his youngest son Prince Harry in 1995, when the Duke of Sussex was still a child
King Charles is seen with his wife Queen Camilla as they leave by car from Clarence House in London yesterday
Royal historian Kelly Swaby told Radio 4 that a health crisis like Charles’s is “always an opportunity for a truce” after a family dispute.
“The reaction that the Royal Family is showing at this moment, I think, would be the same in every family across the country. A health scare – major health news is always an opportunity for a truce or a reappraisal of a situation in one’s personal life, so I think we should take Prince Harry’s return to Britain as a sign that there may be a temporary truce’ , she said.
“A son returns to visit his father, who has just received terrible news.”
However, biographer Ingrid Seward told GB News that Harry’s return to London is ‘not helpful’ and will cause ‘problems’.
‘My first reaction is: how useless is that? That’s not very nice of me. I just thought you really don’t need someone getting into this mix at this somewhat tense moment, which is going to cause more problems than they can solve,” she said.
‘Of course Harry wants to see his father and he has had no argument with his father, despite what he has said about the Queen. Charles has remained very calm about it.
‘But the royal family don’t like to be confronted with these emotional problems and I think Harry will come here, he will be very nice to everyone, everyone will be very nice to him, and then they will just hope that he comes back nice again. soon.’