Prince Harry's claim that King Charles has 'other priorities' doesn't bode well for reconciliation

Harry's spokesperson said the King was too busy for a catch-up with his son who is in the UK this week - but another phrase in the statement stood out even more.

Rhiannon Mills

Royal correspondent @SkyRhiannon

Wednesday 8 May 2024 13:22, UK

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I'd just recorded a prearranged interview with the chief executive of the Invictus Games when an unexpected guest arrived at the Invictus conference.

With his arm propped up against the car window to hide his face, Prince Harry was back, a day earlier than most of us had thought.

So, would this mean more time to potentially see his family? Well, no.

The duke's spokesperson said the King was too busy for a catch-up with his son.

But another phrase stood out even more, as the spokesperson added that Harry understands his father has "other priorities".

Now it's easy to read too much into a couple of words, but at a time when we're looking for any signs of reconciliation it doesn't read well if a son, who spends most of his time in America now, is suggesting his father is prioritising other things over him.

Royal protocol is obviously one thing that sets the Windsors apart from your average family going through difficult times.

But was it really protocol, or the pain of what's been said over the past couple of years, that has prevented a potential reunion?

We know the King is still having cancer treatment, but his doctors are now allowing him to do public engagements, so did the King just say no to a meeting?

Did Harry suggest he only had certain times when he could pop round? Was there not even time for a cup of tea or dinner?

We may never know - and all sides would probably rather we stopped trying to guess.

Whatever is going on, it just feels terribly sad that you have a family that still seems so divided despite them dealing with the double cancer diagnosis for both the King and the Princess of Wales.

There hasn't even been any mention that Harry might see his brother William.

Whatever was going on with his blood relatives, Prince Harry's military family was always going to be his focus this week.

His trip revolves around events to mark the 10th anniversary of the launch of the Invictus Games.

Chief executive Dominic Reid was there from the start and told me it's always been more than a patronage for Harry, it's a genuine passion, and he doesn't believe the split in the family has had any kind of negative impact.

"There's the business of him being in a different place," Mr Reid said. "So I see him face-to-face less regularly. We all do. But he does join all of our meetings and he does come to all our events.

"So no, I mean, and it was always his patronage. It's not a royal patronage. It's not in the gift of the royal family. It's his thing. And we're delighted to have him as our patron."

Ahead of the games in Florida in 2016, Prince Harry told me he thought Invictus would have a shelf life.

But despite everything else going on in his personal life, it continues to be a huge part of his charity work and the whole concept is still very much needed.

Mr Reid said: "It's a source of great sadness that we are now living in a world where the requirement is colossal. You know, we didn't think there would be war in Europe.

"We didn't think there would be people being injured on a daily basis the way they are. And clearly that requirement is still there... It's phenomenal to just feel the degree to which Invictus has become a convening platform for veteran care."

For all the negative headlines, you can't deny the impact Harry's Games have had over the past 10 years.

At Wednesday's conference, he talked about how wives, husbands and children have thanked him for giving their loved ones a purpose.

It's clear those athletes have needed Harry - now it feels like he needs them more than ever; his military family among whom he still feels at home.

Prince Harry's claim that King Charles has 'other priorities' doesn't bode well for reconciliation

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