The Duke of Sussex’s letters and calls to his father are going unanswered, sources have claimed.
Prince Harry is said to have been left in the dark about the King’s health condition, only learning of his recent hospital stay for side-effects of his cancer treatment through the media, People magazine reported.
A source told the US celebrity magazine: “I don’t think there is any rapprochement”. Another said: “They are distant.”
The Duke was at the Court of Appeal in London last week, claiming he had been “singled out” for “unjustified and inferior treatment” when he was denied the right to police protection in the UK.
Prince Harry’s calls and letters have gone unanswered, and the King is reportedly keeping his distance to avoid being drawn into discussions about security, sources close to him believe. Photo / Getty Images
It came in his fight with the Home Office over the decision of the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) that he should receive a different degree of protection.
He did not meet the King before his father left on his state visit to Italy, and flew to Ukraine before he arrived home.
People magazine reported the divide between the pair had widened, with their last face-to-face meeting taking place in February last year after the King had announced his cancer diagnosis.
Prince Harry’s calls and letters have gone unanswered, and the King is reportedly keeping his distance to avoid being drawn into discussions about security, sources close to him believe.
The Duke, awaiting the outcome of his appeal, told The Telegraph last week that “people would be shocked by what’s being held back” after some evidence was heard in private.
He described the moment he was told of the decision as “difficult to swallow”, having previously suggested that it was at the heart of the rift with his father.
His “worst fears have been confirmed” by secret evidence he had heard in court, he said, in a case that has left him “exhausted” and “overwhelmed”.
Of his multiple court cases in recent years, he said: “This one always mattered the most.”
The Duke and his allies are said to believe the King could intervene, should he choose, to ensure his younger son’s security agreements fit his requirements.
It is claimed the Duke’s taxpayer-funded police protection was withdrawn in a failed bid to force him and the Duchess of Sussex to stay in the UK.
Palace sources have pointed out that the King cannot intervene in matters before the court, particularly regarding his own family.
Ravec’s decision in 2020 stated Metropolitan Police protection would no longer be appropriate after the Sussexes’ departure and that they should receive a different degree of protection when in the UK.
The Sussexes receive a “bespoke” security service, whereby they are required to give 30 days’ notice of any plans to travel to the UK, with each visit being assessed for threat levels and whether protection is needed.
Shaheed Fatima KC, who represents Harry, told the appeal hearing that the Duke had been “singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment”, adding that Harry “does not accept that ‘bespoke’ means ‘better’”.
