So much went down in 2019 within the Windsor clan. That was the year when the attacks and smears ramped up to a crazy degree on the Duchess of Sussex. That was the year when it was clear that the Sussexes could not and would not stay in the UK. That was the year when the Sussexes welcomed baby Archie amid the larger falling-out with the family. When Meghan gave birth to Archie, she did not pose on any hospital steps, nor did the Sussexes’ office alert the media about the birth until eight hours after it happened. Remember how mad the press was about that? The Windsors were upset too, because Harry and Meghan were getting so much attention, and because Harry didn’t feel like he was beholden to the Invisible Contract. Well, speaking of, that old fart Arthur Edwards – a longtime royal photographer – now says that then-Prince Charles didn’t even want to look at photos of baby Archie because Charles and Harry were not speaking at the time.

King Charles was on an official visit to Germany when Prince Harry and Meghan welcomed their first child and he later said he “couldn’t be more delighted”. However, behind the scenes things were reportedly tense between him and his son and photographer Arthur Edwards, who was on the trip with the King, claims he was told not to show him the first pictures of Archie.

These snaps were taken at Windsor two days after the royal was born and in Cup of Tea, Arthur?, he recalls asking the picture desk to send them.

“When my phone pinged, I showed Camilla pictures of little Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor in his parents’ arms and got a photo of her looking at the latest royal grandchild on my screen,” Arthur writes. “Camilla said, ‘Can you show it to the prince?'”

According to the photographer, “Just then, Julian Payne, the prince’s press secretary, said quietly, ‘No, don’t do that, Arthur.'”

When asked why, Payne supposedly replied, “He’s not talking to his son”, and Arthur states that this was “the first [he] knew that there was acrimony” between King Charles and Prince Harry. Archie was born eight months before his parents made the dramatic announcement that they were stepping back as working royals.

A few months earlier the Duke of Sussex had hinted at a strain between him and Prince William when he stated they were on “different paths at the moment”. However, it was only around the time of the royal exit statement that rumours of a wider rift went into overdrive.

[From Woman & Home]

I’m sure Arthur Edwards thinks this is some big gossip about how Harry and Charles were on the outs, but all I can focus on is… Charles didn’t even want to see photos of his grandson? This “family” is so awful, a grandfather didn’t even want to see his son and daughter-in-law holding Archie? Talk about a foreshadowing – Charles has continued to beef with his Sussex grandchildren for no reason this entire time. Charles has refused to include Archie and Lili in family events, Charles scheduled his coronation for Archie’s fourth birthday, and Charles has probably only met Archie like four times? And I’m being generous.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images, the Sussexes’ social media.