Royal sources say King Charles faces growing pressure to repair his strained relationship with Prince Harry, but trust remains a major obstacle.
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“[King Charles] could give a master class in diplomatic relations,” Ailsa Anderson, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth, recently told PEOPLE.
That said, many hopeful royal family watchers want the monarch to use those diplomatic skills and reach out to Harry to attempt to reconcile.
“I don’t know how much longer my father has… He won’t speak to me,” Harry revealed to the BBC back in May.
According to royal historian Dr. Ed Owens, author of After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?, Harry was anticipated to be “one of his reliable lieutenants he could call on to support the monarchy.”
Of course, that hope fell apart in 2020 when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped back from their royal roles and moved to Montecito, California. The divide grew wider with revealing interviews, their Netflix documentary series, and Harry’s bestselling memoir, Spare.
William remains estranged from Harry and Meghan, but some believe it’s King Charles — as head of the Church of England and a supporter of unity — who should make the first move. However, there is still hesitation within the palace.
There have been moments when reconnection was considered, but “the underlying issue is trust,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE.
At times, there has been a desire to reconnect — but “the underlying issue is trust,” royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith told PEOPLE. “The King and William don’t trust Harry and Meghan with any kind of confidential conversation.”
Those Close to King Charles Aren’t Pushing for Him to Patch Things Up with Prince Harry
According to insiders, Charles doesn’t have people around him encouraging reconciliation. William has shown no interest in making peace, and Queen Camilla “stays out of it,” according to one of PEOPLE’s sources. Even senior aides like Clive Alderton, mentioned in Harry’s memoir, are unlikely to suggest personal outreach.
“There is not a good angel in his ear to say, ‘Be a good dad and make the first move,’” Valentine Low, author of the upcoming book Power and the Palace, explained to PEOPLE.
The dispute centers around security. Harry argues that losing his official protection puts his family at risk, making him hesitant to bring Meghan and their children, Prince Archie (6) and Princess Lilibet (4), to the U.K. He believes Charles has the power to reverse the decision, but the palace states that the courts have already reviewed the matter thoroughly.
Despite the intense royal rift, Low thinks most people can distinguish the private drama from their public duties. “This is a family rift rather than a constitutional rift,” Low insisted to PEOPLE. “It’s what happens to families. Both sides have to reach a point where they realize they can’t carry on as they are.”