King Charles is reportedly experiencing frustration with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle due to their perceived inability to maintain privacy in their interactions with the royal family. This tension came to the forefront following an incident involving a phone call made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to King Charles on the occasion of his 75th birthday.
During this call, it is reported that Prince Harry and Meghan, along with their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, shared a video where the young royals sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to their grandfather. This gesture, intended to be a personal family moment, quickly became public knowledge, with the Daily Telegraph describing the exchange as “warm.”
However, the subsequent public attention garnered by the details of this private conversation is said to have upset King Charles. His aggravation stems from the timing of the incident, which coincided with the launch of his food waste project on his birthday—a project he hoped would be the focal point of public and media attention on that day.
A source close to the King, speaking to The Sunday Times, shed light on Charles’s perspective. The source highlighted the King’s preference for keeping personal issues separate from his public duties and expressed his frustration with the way family dynamics can overshadow his role and work. The King’s preference is to keep the focus on his public initiatives and contributions rather than on the personal affairs of the royal family, which are often scrutinized by the media and public.
Further adding to the discourse, royal commentator Richard Eden, writing for the Daily Mail, raised questions about the future dynamics within the royal family, particularly concerning Harry and Meghan’s participation in royal events. Eden speculated that the quick public revelation of the private birthday call might serve as a cautionary tale for the royal family when considering future interactions or invitations to the Sussexes.
This incident underscores the ongoing complexities and challenges in the relationship between Prince Harry, Meghan Markle, and the broader royal family, particularly in terms of managing privacy, public perception, and the delicate balance between personal and public spheres in royal life. As the royal family navigates these dynamics, the interplay between private moments and public duties continues to be a point of contention and interest.