ROBERT JOBSON: As Harry jets into the UK again, it would be sensible for King Charles NOT to meet his son. The human emotions at work behind the facade of royalty are proving too painful

A year after his coronation, The King is a man on a mission.

The Crown is no longer in transition; this is definitely his reign – and King Charles wants to make his mark.

This week sees His Majesty returning to work after a break from his public duties for cancer treatment, and in the wake of recent welcome news about his progress.

Today, for example, the King will combine a meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with further medical appointments.

Tomorrow, King and Queen Camilla will host the first Buckingham Palace Garden party of the year. It is encouraging to see His Majesty so active again.

Yet amid all this activity, it seems there won’t be time to meet his youngest son, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.

Harry will be at St Paul’s Cathedral in London ahead of Thursday’s service to celebrate the Invictus Games, his project for wounded, injured and ill former servicemen.

But I am told that father and son will not see each other on this occasion – that there have been no requests for a meeting.

Both men are understandably busy.

The prince, who no longer has a home in Britain, will provide his own accommodation. He will not reside in any of the royal residences and has made no request to do so.

Which means another chance for reconciliation has apparently slipped away. And who, you might ask, could be surprised?

Trust between the king and his youngest son has evaporated since Harry published his best-selling memoir Spare last year.

The two men once shared a special bond, but now every encounter between them seems fraught with the weight of past disappointments.

It is a delicate dance, in which every step – and every misstep – is scrutinized by a vigilant audience.

Who can blame the king if he sees such encounters as a burden rather than a relief?

Today, in the sprawling saga that is the recent history of the royal family, the relationship between the King and the Duke of Sussex is overshadowed by tension and misunderstandings.

We saw some of this earlier this year when news of Charles’ cancer diagnosis was made public.

As soon as it was announced, Harry took it upon himself to take a ten-hour flight from his home in California to visit his father, which many saw as a well-intentioned gesture.

Despite the considerable effort involved, the eventual meeting between the two was awkward to say the least and lasted only a few minutes.

Harry was not invited to stay at Clarence House, the king’s main London home, or any other royal residence that evening. Meanwhile, his father left almost immediately for Sandringham in Norfolk for some rest and recuperation.

As sad as this may seem, the brevity was all too understandable given the patterns of previous behavior.

Yet nothing changes this important fact: His Majesty’s love for his youngest son is enduring.

Despite the rifts of miscommunication and the fallout of a very public fallout, the family bond – at its core – remains unbroken.

The tragedy of the situation lies not in malice, but in a series of unfortunate misunderstandings and outside pressures that have hardened into an almost insurmountable barrier.

It is also true that Harry, with his well-documented impulsiveness and naivety, may not always understand the full implications of his actions.

His desire for transparency and change, while noble, can sometimes conflict with the traditional expectations and obligations of royal life.

His actions indicate a man who is desperately looking for something to hold on to, but is unable to do so.

Harry’s naivete can be dangerous, not just for him, but for all parties involved, as it fuels the flames of speculation.

That is why, if King Charles chooses to forego a meeting at this sensitive moment, the decision will not be a new act of rejection or dismissal, but will be rooted in a painful history.

And we must have the compassion to see it as such.

Why wouldn’t the king take a sensible protective measure that would protect against further emotional stress as well as the rigors of managing his health?

Ultimately, the hope for reconciliation remains alive, albeit tempered by realism.

The path to healing is labyrinthine and full of potential setbacks. But it’s not closed yet.

We must hope for understanding and peace between a father and his son, against the backdrop of their very public roles and private pains.

Whether or not they meet in the coming days – and if they do, it will likely be last-minute and fleeting – their dilemma is a poignant reminder of the human emotions at work behind the grand facade of the kingship.

Robert Jobson is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller Our King: Charles III – The Man and Monarch