On Wednesday, Prince Harry was in London celebrating 10 years of the Invictus Games, the biennial sporting event for wounded servicemembers he helped to found. He was joined at the St. Paul's Cathedral service of thanksgiving by Princess Diana’s siblings, Charles Spencer and Lady Jane Fellowes, but there were no representatives of the Windsor side of his family, though Harry started the Games while he was still a full-time royal. Instead King Charles III opened the season’s first Buckingham Palace garden party while Prince William hosted an investiture at Windsor Castle. People reported that Harry invited his father and brother but they declined to attend.
The magazine added that the brothers are still estranged, despite Kate Middleton’s recent cancer diagnosis, and that William is leaning on Middleton’s tight-knit family for support. Royal author Ingrid Seward told the magazine that Harry’s absence has increased the pressure William was under while both his wife and father were ailing. “William would have always imagined he would have Harry alongside him. Going forward, that puts responsibility more on William and his family,” Seward said. “There is no one else to take the slack.”
One day after Charles publicly announced his diagnosis in February, Harry traveled to England for a short meeting with his father. Despite the visit, the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden reports that there is a chill between the pair. “He doesn’t need the drama in his life,” a friend of the king told Eden. “Harry and Meghan have brought him, and the rest of the family, nothing but worries over the past few years.”
Earlier this week, a spokesperson for Harry announced that he wouldn’t be visiting with his father during his trip to celebrate the Invictus Games’ milestone. “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,” the spokesperson said. “The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
More Great Stories From Vanity Fair
Palace Insiders on the Monarchy’s Difficult Year
Princess Anne Is “Comfortable” and “Recovering Well” After Horse Accident
Inside theTitanSub Recovery: A Hopeful Rescue Turned Tragic Mission
Why You Can’t Look Away From the Karen Read Trial
The Best Movies of 2024, So Far
Trump Seems Worried About What Kind of Prison He Could Be Sent To
Luke Thompson Is Bridgerton’s Worst-Kept Secret
What Is Cinema? Filmmaking Masters Share Their Secrets
