The King and Prince of Wales have made their first joint public engagement since 2022 while their relations with Prince Harry seem to be more distant than ever.
As the monarch and his eldest son marked the milestone in some style with the elder arriving by an Apache helicopter and the younger departing in the front seat - one family helicopter pilot was symbolically missing from the picture.
As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex try to look ahead rather than backward with foreign tours and a new brand, Prince Harry’s recent visit to the UK was a stark reminder of the gulf that grows between him and his family.
Instead of a widely anticipated father and son reunion given the recent times of turbulence and health crises at the heart of the institution, the King’s youngest son and the monarch could not even schedule a quick meeting between them despite being just 3 short miles away from each other.
It spoke volumes that Harry’s spokesperson felt moved to publish a statement which cited his father’s full diary as an excuse for the absence of a get-together, but clearly there is more to it under the surface.
It was reported that no formal request for a meeting was made on either side - but if one was wanted, as we understand it was from Harry’s side, then you can imagine that something could have easily been set up.
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15 май 2024
