Prince Harry enjoyed a quick trip to the U.K., but the Duke of Sussex failed to meet with his father, King Charles. According to sources close to the Windsors, Harry's various tell-alls made it difficult for his relatives to spend time with him.
“The fact that they didn’t shows they don’t want to do anything to encourage Harry to spend more time in the U.K. Charles is never going to endorse a hostile, rival royal operation on his doorstep," a source told an outlet. "Instead, Charles sent a clear message that he is not welcome to conduct official, quasi-royal events in the U.K. that distract from the monarchy’s message and agenda."
Harry attended a 10th-anniversary celebration for the Invictus Games on Wednesday, May 8, in London, and Charles held a garden party at the same time as his son's event.
In Spare, Harry revealed intimate details about royal life and painted Prince William, Kate Middleton and Queen Camilla in a negative light.
“No one trusted him before, and they certainly don’t now. It’s rude, undignified and childish to make these attacks on his family when he knows they can’t answer back," a friend revealed. "It’s also inconsiderate, to say the least, to make the life of an elderly man who has cancer more difficult."
Aside from managing his role as king, Charles and the Princess of Wales are undergoing cancer treatment while balancing their role.
"Charles is trying his hardest to do his job in very difficult circumstances," the source continued. "Harry claims to love his family. He has a funny way of showing it. It’s reminiscent of how he spent the last months of Queen Elizabeth’s life saying how much he loved her while attacking the monarchy to which she had devoted her life. Nothing has changed. We are back to square one.”
“I think people understand now why the brothers are as far apart as ever. It’s very sad, but William is right not to trust him," they added.
OK! previously reported a spokesperson for Harry revealed the veteran and Charles wouldn't be able to see each other while he was in London.
"It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program," the statement read. "The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon."
Biographer Katie Nicholl claimed the Invictus Games founder was saddened about getting rejected by Charles.
"When you take away the rift and who they are in terms of the royal family, they are a family, and Harry's gone through an awful lot since finding out his father's been diagnosed with cancer," Nicholl stated. "He's all those miles away, understandably very worried about his papa, as he calls him, and he is here for three days."
"I think it was very much his hope that he'd get to see his father. I'm told he's rather hurt and quite disappointed that he hasn't had that opportunity," the journalist continued.
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According to experts, they believed Charles' health challenges would unite them.
"Harry has said that he had hoped that, out of the adversity of his father's illness, he would reunify with the family. It's clearly very much his intention," Nicholl explained. "My understanding is the king also wants to sort of rekindle his relationship with his son."
"He loves his son. He's a very forgiving man. I think he certainly wants to move on. While time hasn't been made available on this particular trip, it'll certainly be the king's hope that he will get to see Harry and his family at some point later this year," she said.
Sources spoke to The Daily Beast.