King Charles’ diagnosis shook the UK this week, coming out only 10 days after he was treated for a benign enlarged prostate. Palace officials have confirmed that the King called both his sons, as well as his siblings, to tell them the worrying news. It is thought that Queen Camilla, meanwhile, knew about the King’s condition earlier than we thought.
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Prince Harry is understood to have agreed to wait before getting on a flight to visit his father so that the Palace had time to make a public announcement. This was duly made on Monday evening, and on Tuesday Prince Harry touched down on British soil, leaving his wife Meghan Markle and two children at home in Montecito, California. However, after an 11-hour flight, when he finally got to see his father the meeting reportedly only lasted for half an hour. While many are focusing on how short this visit was, let’s take a look at how Prince William is expected to deal with his brother being back in the UK.
Kate Middleton is Prince William’s priority
The King’s enlarged prostate was announced on the same day as Kate Middleton’s planned abdominal surgery. The Princess of Wales is now recovering at home, and her husband has taken time off of royal duties to look after her and their children. A source told the Daily Mail:
The Prince has always made clear that his priority is to support his wife and family for the time being – and he did not put a timescale on that.
Although Prince William is set to make a return to public duties today, on Wednesday 7 February, the source explained that ‘you should not expect to see him again for a bit after that’. It is understood that Prince William has his father’s 100% support in coming back to work at his own pace.
Prince Harry stayed in a hotel
After meeting with King Charles, Harry did not spend the night in any royal residence - a bit of a touchy subject for the Prince who was evicted from Frogmore Cottage last year. Instead, he reportedly stayed in a luxury hotel in London. He is not expected to stay for long in the UK, and has an event lined up with Meghan in Canada next week to mark one year until the 2025 Invictus Games in Vancouver and Whistler.
Tensions between Prince Harry and the rest of the royals are notorious after Prince Harry and Meghan broke away from The Firm and gave a series of exposing interviews. Prince Harry’s tell-all memoir, Spare, is said to have caused irreparable damage within the family. However, there was still some hope that Prince Harry would see his brother William given the circumstances.
Prince Harry would meet with Prince William
According to sources close to the Duke, he would have ‘gladly accepted’ an invitation to see his brother ‘if the opportunity were to arise’. However, it seems unlikely that a truce is on the cards as Prince William reportedly has no intention of seeing Prince Harry. A source close to Prince William said:
The prince’s main focus is for his wife, who is recovering from surgery, his three children and now his father. There are no plans for Harry’s visit to act as some kind of vehicle for reconciliation.
The message appears to be very clear: King Charles’ illness will not be used an an opportunity to wipe the slate clean between his sons.
Read more:
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Sources used:
Mirror: EXCLUSIVE: Prince William has 'no plans' to see Harry during UK trip to visit Charles - despite brother's hopes
DailyMail: Prince William will continue to prioritise Kate Middleton and his children's welfare ahead of his full-time royal duties after deciding to clear his diary to support his wife while she recovers from surgery
DailyMail: Harry 'would have gladly accepted' reunion with William but instead 'spends night in London hotel' after 45-minute meeting with cancer-stricken King Charles: Duke set to return to LA - as Prince of Wales briefly resumes public duties amid Kate's illness
Express: Royal Family LIVE: Prince Harry 'will put the past aside' after King Charles visit
