Staff for King Charles and Prince Harry met. Is a royal reconciliation in the air?
Published: 2025-07-27 10:30:46 | Views: 9
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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.
"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.
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."
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.
"This is a different kind of conflict in the 21st century where we're seeing a combination of official grievances in terms of security and the Royal Family's relationship with the press but also personal grievances in terms of how Prince Harry feels that he has been treated over time."
Attempts now at reconciliation would make sense, Harris suggested, because when conflicts within the Royal Family fester, they can cast a long shadow.
The abdication crisis surrounding King Edward VIII, who gave up the throne in 1936, is a "prime example" of that, she said.
"Efforts at reconciliation between Prince Harry and his father at this time may be an effort to avoid the reign of the eventual King William V being overshadowed by a long-standing estrangement with Prince Harry."
A Canadian on Camilla's reading list
When the Royal Family posted a picture of Queen Camilla to social media as it thanked those who wished her a happy 78th birthday, a Canadian mystery writer's work was in the frame.
The photo posted to Instagram and Facebook the other day shows Camilla — an avid reader — holding a copy of The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny.
The royal nod came as a surprise to Penny, CBC Books reported.
"I was floored when a friend in the U.K. forwarded me the photo," the author told CBC Books via email.
"I knew she'd read the book, since she sent me a lovely note, but to see it in the birthday post was astonishing."
Camilla's love of reading — and efforts to promote it — are well-known and came to the fore during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were unable to leave home.
"Camilla was giving radio broadcasts about how she was spending time at home sharing her favourite books, [and] we see the efforts that would eventually develop into the Queen's Reading Room," Harris said.
The Queen's Reading Room is a literary charity that undertakes various initiatives and events to support reading and literacy, along with providing reading lists and supporting authors.
For Camilla, Harris suggested, reading is more than taking in a story from the written page.
"It's not simply people taking the opportunity to read these books themselves but to come together in book clubs to discuss these books so there's a community-building effort here as well as promoting authors and reading."
And maybe — just maybe — there was something else going on in the photo, too.
Little happens by chance when it comes to photos the Royal Family chooses to post to social media, and this photo includes a Canadian author.
Over the past six months or so, in the face of the repeated 51st state rhetoric from U.S. President Donald Trump, there have been subtle signals of support for Canada from the Royal Family.
"In itself that Queen Camilla is reading Louise Penny, that's not necessarily a strong signal on its own," Harris said.
"But when it's added to all of these other moments like King Charles III planting a maple tree or Michael Bublé being included in the list of Commonwealth songs that King Charles III publicized on Commonwealth Day, there's this emphasis on engaging with Canadian culture."
That effort was on display during the whirlwind visit Charles and Camilla made to Ottawa in late May, Harris said.
Penny herself was invited to Canada House in London and met the King there just before that visit a few weeks ago.
"It was a very fun experience all around," she said in a post on Facebook.
The 'honour and privilege' of a royal visit
As Lt.-Col. Chris Michaud watched his regiment's colonel-in-chief greet its members, he couldn't help but be impressed.
Michaud, the regiment's commanding officer, was at Prince Edward's side as the Duke of Edinburgh met members of the Prince Edward Island Regiment during his recent visit helping the regiment mark its 150th anniversary.
"One of the biggest takeaways is how he engages with people. It's fascinating," Michaud said in an interview.
He was with Edward as he met members at a royal regimental ball at a Charlottetown hotel.
"He must have met 300 people that evening, and he took a moment to speak with each one, exchange a couple of questions with them and ... it was really interesting to see how somebody of such a stature [would] take the time to engage with each person they get an opportunity to meet," Michaud said.
"As a leader, that's something you take away."
Michaud had been prepared for a few nerves to kick in as he met Edward for the second time — he'd attended a regimental visit about a decade ago — but he found it got easier as the recent visit progressed through engagements with cadets, a stop at Abegweit First Nation, the ball, a regimental breakfast and a freedom of the city parade in Charlottetown.
Still, Michaud did forget a couple of things — something that didn't go unnoticed by Edward.
"From the dais, he's standing up there with a big smile, he goes: 'You forgot I was going to give remarks, didn't you?'" he recalled Edward saying.
"It was just a sign of his sense of humour, too, that I got to see over those two-and-a-half days."
The visit was a "huge honour and privilege," Michaud said.
"To have a member of the Royal Family who is engaged and interested and is aware of their connections to Canada's military and Canada's military history as well — it's just a huge opportunity."
During the visit, Prince Edward presented members of the regiment with custom-made wool blankets woven by MacAusland's Woollen Mills in Bloomfield, P.E.I.
The striped blankets incorporate the regimental colours of black and gold and include a commemorative label.
The gift was arranged by the Canadian Wool Council and the Campaign for Wool in Canada, a patronage of Edward's elder brother, King Charles.
"Wool has always had a deep connection with the military," Matthew Rowe, CEO of both organizations, said in an interview.
Planning for the commemorative blankets began several months ago and brought together several focuses for the Campaign for Wool.
"Prince Edward Island is home to one of the last blanket mills in Canada that makes product in 100 per cent Canadian wool, and wouldn't it be wonderful to create something special for this anniversary," Rowe said.
"We wanted something that was ... meaningful, but that was also tangible.... it's also practical, it's something that can speak to that moment and speak to that affiliation but that will be a treasured and functional heirloom going forward for the men and women of the regiment."
Enough custom blankets were woven to ensure one for every serving member of the regiment, plus others. Prince Edward also received one.
"It's just such a great way ... of celebrating a great Canadian manufacturer, a great Canadian product and showing how Canadian wool can keep us safe and warm in many different levels of interpretation," Rowe said.
Royally quotable
"It's the best therapy in the world."
— Queen Camilla, referring to gardening, during a visit to an annual flower show.
Royal reads
King Charles says the world needs to better respect and understand the Muslim faith at a time of fractured global relations. [ITV]
A summit at King Charles's Highgrove estate that was a celebration of his philosophy of harmony with nature brought together representatives from Indigenous peoples, including from tribes in the Amazon, along with environmentalists, climate campaigners, organic farmers, herbalists, educators, crafts people and philanthropists. [BBC]
Staying at Highgrove, King Charles's passion for gardening and nature is well-known, but it has emerged that his exacting standards may have ruffled more than a few feathers among staff. [Daily Mail]
King Charles has invited U.S. President Donald Trump for an unprecedented second state visit in September, scheduling the trip for three days when Parliament is not sitting and removing the possibility of Trump addressing Parliament. [The Guardian]
The changing fashions of the late Queen Elizabeth are to go on show in a major exhibition next year at Buckingham Palace. The exhibition, featuring items from her childhood through to the decades of her long reign, will coincide with the centenary of her birth. [BBC]
A new photograph of Prince George has been issued by Kensington Palace to mark his 12th birthday. A short video of George, with his sister, Princess Charlotte, and brother, Prince Louis, was also posted to social media. [BBC]
Prince Harry visited Angola to back the landmine charity supported by his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. [ITV]
Swan numbers have begun to recover on the River Thames after a couple of years of worrying decline, according to an annual royal survey of swans. [BBC]
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