Prince Harry’s (39) spectacular and extremely short return to his British homeland almost seems like an alternative version of the parable of the prodigal son. For all people who are not so biblically sound: The younger son tries his luck abroad away from the family, returns a little later purified and – under the vehement protests of the older, dutiful brother – is welcomed back joyfully and with open arms by their father.
In the modern UK remake of this story, the father, aka King Charles III, appears to be himself. (75), on the other hand, to have sided with his older son Prince William (41). Prince Harry flew for over ten hours to visit his father after his cancer diagnosis. However, it seems as if he received a cold shoulder instead of open arms. In any case, British media reported that the meeting between Harry and Charles lasted only half an hour to a maximum of 45 minutes. Shortly afterwards, the royal couple said goodbye to the country estate in Sandringham – and Prince Harry returned to the USA.
Meanwhile, Prince William apparently interpreted his role with biblical rejection: Although his brother Harry remained alone in London for some time after Charles and Camilla’s departure to Sandringham, according to consistent media reports, the two did not meet. Admittedly, Prince William, as representative of King Charles, had a packed royal schedule on the day of Harry’s visit. But was that actually the main reason why the brothers didn’t meet?
The British media landscape, which has generally not been pro-Harry, suspects that King Charles and Prince William were taken by surprise by his “well-intentioned visit”. This is supported by the fact that after his arrival Harry did not stay in one of the royal properties, but in a hotel. In addition, the monarch actually wanted to relax away from the public at Sandringham much earlier and was therefore already scratching his feet to be able to get the meeting with his son behind him. After his father’s cancer diagnosis and the additional health problems of his wife Princess Kate (42), Prince William has completely different worries than receiving Harry – and possibly giving him more material for a next tell-all book.
What was seen in advance as a great opportunity to finally mend the cracks in the badly shaken relationship with Prince Harry actually had the opposite effect from the outside. Instead of the necessary calm, King Charles, who is suffering from cancer, has a new potential topic of excitement on his hands. Given his current situation, Prince William may feel more alone than ever. And Prince Harry may have to explain to his environmentally conscious wife how a 30-minute chat justifies the more than 20-hour flight.
