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Prince Harry Is All Smiles Greeting Fans in London After King Charles’ Snub
Thousands lined up to greet Prince Harry as he left St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the royal was all smiles despite a recent snub by dad King Charles III.
Harry, 39, was at St. Paul’s to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games on Thursday, May 9, and the crowd cheered as he walked by. The dad of two even stopped to shake hands and make jokes with some of the people. Harry’s public appearance came after his father turned down an opportunity for the two of them to visit while Harry was in the United Kingdom.
“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not the Duke will meet with his father while in the U.K. this week, it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program,” a spokesperson for Harry said in a statement obtained by Page Six on Tuesday, May 7.
However, the spokesperson added that Harry was “understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Charles has only recently returned to his public-facing duties after being diagnosed with cancer in February. The return to work has likely resulted in a busy schedule that didn’t allow him to meet with his youngest son.
“His Majesty The King will shortly return to public-facing duties after a period of treatment and recuperation following his recent cancer diagnosis,” a statement shared on April 26 revealed. “To help mark this milestone, The King and Queen will make a joint visit to a cancer treatment centre next Tuesday, where they will meet medical specialists and patients. This visit will be the first in a number of external engagements His Majesty will undertake in the weeks ahead.”
On top of being turned down for a meeting with his father, Harry learned that his brother, Prince William, and Charles have plans to attend an engagement next week where William, 41, will be made Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps, which is Harry’s old regiment. Harry reportedly discovered the news only hours after landing in London on Tuesday, May 7.
“At the Army Aviation Centre in Middle Wallop, His Majesty The King will officially hand over the role of Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales,” the statement from Buckingham Palace read.
Tensions between the royal family and Harry have been strained since he and wife Meghan Markle decided to step back from their royal duties in January 2020. His relationship with his older brother became especially fraught after Harry opened up about their arguments about his decision to move to the U.S. in the 2022 Netflix special Harry and Meghan.
Harry flew to London to visit his father just one day after the palace announced the king’s diagnosis. He later opened up about their visit.
“I jumped on a plane and went to see him as soon as I could,” the Duke of Sussex told Good Morning America on February 16. “I love my family. The fact that I was able to get on a plane and go see him and spend time with him, I’m grateful for that.”
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