There’s a war brewing in King Charles’s court about making peace with Harry

Prince Harry’s memoir and promotional tour must be enormously cathartic for him. To finally be able to write and speak on the record, at long last, to create a historical record of what happened, who said what, and what he wants now. While the royalists have spent weeks crying about Harry’s memoir and interviews, it actually seems like he’s walked the knife’s edge very well about most subjects, namely his willingness to reconcile. He has firmly put the ball in his father’s court and (to mix metaphors) Harry is allowing the chips to fall where they may. Harry’s done, he’s said his piece, he got all of this on the record. Now it’s time for his family to react. And their reactions are telling. Over the weekend, people in Charles’s office floated the idea of “peace talks” before the coronation. The reaction from the British commentary class was wall-to-wall rage at the very idea of a father and son making peace. They seem outraged by the idea that Charles might acknowledge that Harry has made some good points. As I said, telling. So now the “peace talks” narrative is being swept away. From the Daily Beast’s Royalist:

No peace talks: Reports of an imminent reconciliation meeting between King Charles and Prince Harry have been greatly exaggerated, a friend of Charles has told The Daily Beast. Despite the fact that Charles has made it clear that, as courtiers are always at pains to insist, he “loves both his sons” the idea that Charles is going to sit down for a cup of Earl Grey with Meghan and Harry before the coronation, as suggested in reports this weekend, has friends of the king and queen doubtfully shaking their heads. “It’s wishful thinking,” one friend of the couple told The Daily Beast.

Harry broke Charles’s confidentiality: Indeed the book opens with a detailed account of a “secret” meeting with Charles and William, called by Harry, in a graveyard, after the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral. It’s hard to see how Charles could attend a private meeting with his youngest son (or indeed write to or even call him) without assuming notes were being taken—and might well later be served up to the public in a sequel to the best-selling book.

A war in King Charles’s court: The story in The Sunday Times [by Roya Nikkhah] was fascinating to seasoned observers not so much because what the source suggested may (or may not) come to pass, but because it shows clear evidence of factionalism in the court of King Charles. There is, we must assume, a voluble group within the palace who want Charles to seek peace with Harry. Derided as “palace wets” by GB News presenter Dan Wootton, the theme was also taken up by author Tom Bower, who said that at a recent dinner party Charles had expressed a reluctance to confront and admonish Harry. (Both Wootton and Bower are relentless critics of Harry and Meghan.) Bower urged him to act more harshly. Charles is unlikely to do so; confronting Harry and escalating the row might please Bower, but it would delight the publishers of Harry’s book.

Silence is the only option: A source told The Daily Beast’s Clive Irving: “Silence is the only course open to them, and it has been effective so far, in that now, at last, at least over here, the story is subsiding. The king is genuinely fond of his son, and wishes to keep the door open for him. By not responding he does not fuel the argument.” Irving’s source captures accurately the Royalist’s understanding of the mood at the palace (Charles’ office declined to comment for this article, as did Harry’s) where, The Daily Beast understands, the original decision to say nothing and not engage with the Sussexes, is being seen as having been borne out by events to be correct.

Do nothing: If anything, the do-nothing position is hardening. It’s not hard to see why when the other options are so unpalatable: setting up a peace summit with Harry or aggressively cutting him out of the family by, for example, stripping him of his titles, could both easily serve to oxygenate the inferno rather than smother it. Much better to just keep on keeping on, runs the thinking of many. As one insider told The Daily Beast last week, it’s about letting actions speak louder than words… Harry may want an apology, but there is no indication that Charles is feeling under any pressure to provide one. But Harry has now painted himself into a corner by suggesting he won’t come to the coronation without an apology. He probably shouldn’t hold his breath.

[From The Daily Beast]

Power, control, abuse, incompetence, optics, internecine war, leadership… all of these issues are the undercurrents of this particular royal situation. I believe Charles does have warring factions within his court, within his cadre of advisors and sycophants. I believe that one faction did float the “peace talks” idea to Charles and to the Times. But the other faction is listening to Dan Wootton, Tom Bower, Jeremy Clarkson and Piers Morgan. This other faction wants nothing more than to degrade, humiliate and destroy the Sussexes. As I said at the beginning – Harry has put this all on Charles. Harry has described his terms repeatedly and publicly. It’s up to Charles to make a decision and Charles refuses to. That’s the real story, that’s what no one can say out loud: Charles is dithering, Charles doesn’t know what to do. As Diana said in the Panorama interview: “I would think that the top job, as I call it, would bring enormous limitations to him, and I don’t know whether he could adapt to that.”

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.

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127 Responses to “There’s a war brewing in King Charles’s court about making peace with Harry”

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  1. ThatdNotOkay says:

    Camilla is angry and doesn’t want peace. It would mean she would have no more scapegoats for her ugly behavior. We’re hearing it from the horse’s mouth. It’s Camilla, not Charles, who wears the saddles in that family.

    • Flower says:

      ^^ Constitutionally this is what the UK media should be reporting on – that the married in home wrecker and Princess Diana’s bully runs the show and by extension Charles.

      But of course we will focus on “Meghan controlling Harry” who has not constitutional significance in the UK.

      We are so effed over here.

      Please send help.

      • ELX says:

        I have a somewhat different reading of the situation. C3 is a flaming narcissist permanently set to the self-pity channel. Camilla isn’t his ‘true love,’ other people are just useful, or not. She was number one on the harem speed dial because she is very, very good at catering to C3’s insecurities and fragile ego to get money out of him for herself and her own children. C3 is and was a-okay with the Camilla-reputation rehab because he sees her as an extension of himself (he is the center of the universe!) and he is utterly determined to have his own way (mummy can’t tell him what to do!). Throwing whoever at the press to accomplish that goal is fine—he is not interested in, doesn’t love, and probably is very jealous of his sons. To C3, only C3 and what he wants matters.

        You have to set firm boundaries with people like this or they will blithely abuse you and not even recognize that they are abusive. Given the turmoil in the UK, the dreadful government, the strikes, the terrible deprivation—H&M really shouldn’t go near this expensive vanity project, which I think is going to explode in the participant’s faces. I would not be surprised to see riots after this winter.

    • Chloe says:

      I severely underestimated Camilla’s role in all this. Here was me thinking she was just standing to the side when everything blew up. Now it’s clear that she saw how well Meghan and Charles initially got on and it upset her.

      • Feeshalori says:

        Yes, this has been an eye opener for me as well. But once a mean girl, always a mean girl; all that good PR Charles wasted his money on her post-Diana has gone by the wayside since her spiteful manipulative nature will always come to the forefront. She has been a major player for decades now.

      • TigerMcQueen says:

        I’ll admit the same. I bought into the “she’s happy standing to the side and hanging with her boozy friends and soothing Snarles when he needs it” mindset. Woo boy was I wrong.

        I know some think she didn’t want to marry him even, but was forced to after their respective divorces and then Diana’s death. Now I fully think she was all in for marriage from the get go.

      • Becks1 says:

        I know I’ve said on here several times that I didn’t think Camilla cared enough about W&H to have an impact on their current lives (obviously an impact on their childhood) but that is clearly not the case.

        I said the other day – and I kind of think this is true – that she strikes me as a god of chaos AND a huge gossip. I don’t necessarily think that everything she does is part of this super diabolical master plan. ( a lot, yes, but not everything.) Like I feel like she just likes to call up her media peeps and have a chat and drop all these tidbits and then see what happens and she sits back with a glass of wine and enjoys the fallout.

        I do think that sometimes (a lot of the time?) she leaks what she leaks for a specific reason and to benefit her and Charles. But I also think she probably just enjoys it at this point. And she has to pay her debt with the tabloids.

      • Underhill says:

        I always wonder when I see her in public, just how bad her alcoholism is.

      • ArtHistorian says:

        Becks1

        I do think that you are onto something with Camilla being addicted to gossiping. Like she clearly leaked the Biden farted story and how she couldn’t stop talking about it. But that story really didn’t make her look good.

      • Blue Nails Betty says:

        @Becks

        Yep. In my neck of the woods we call that kind of person a shit stirrer. Camilla loves the drama and intrigues and she loves to be at the heart of the mess. It makes her feel powerful.

    • Renae says:

      I remain convinced that Camilla is a dominatrix. THAT has always been her hold on Charles. Nothing I see/hear convinces me that is untrue.

      • MerlinsMom1018 says:

        @Renae
        Shades of Edward VIII and Wallis.

      • Not a Subject says:

        The smartest thing Camilla Parker-Hoes ever did was getting married while Charles was away in the military. As a king to be who was used to getting anything he wanted served on a silver platter, her unattainability was a huge part of the attraction.

      • Alexandria says:

        Was Wallis as vicious as Cams though? Manipulative maybe.

      • Alice says:

        I 100% agree actually.

      • AnneL says:

        That’s an interesting theory. And it makes sense. She is a horsewoman, after all.

      • HeyJude says:

        Oh dear…that’s a mental image I didn’t need at 10:20am. Thanks.

      • death by bacon says:

        🤢🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮my eyes my tummy my eyes my tummy. There is not enough brain bleach in the world.

      • Ciotog says:

        That would explain the insinuation by Clarkson that Meghan has bewitched Harry through sex. It’s projection!

      • Emily_C says:

        This is sex negative, kink shaming, misogynistic garbage. BDSM doesn’t make someone your puppet. It’s just a game in the bedroom. Stop with this dangerous myth.

        Camilla is Charles’ mirror. She never challenges him or asks for any emotional support whatsoever. That’s it and that’s all.

      • ELX says:

        Whatever they get up to in private, Camilla was and is a hustler, first and foremost. Charles is a meal ticket and she knows how to work him to get money for herself and her own children. Once so much became public and Andrew Parker-Bowles had to leave her or be utterly publicly humiliated, despite being a notorious swordsman himself, she had to latch onto C3 to keep that gravy train rolling. Money is at the root of a lot of this, nothing throws off cash like the Duchy of Cornwall, and Cams needs her slice. If she can get Harry iced out there’s so much more for her.

    • Mary Pester says:

      Let’s be completely honest, it’s Cowmilla that doesn’t want peace. SHE doesn’t want Harry at the coronation as it will take the spotlight of her life long aim “to wear the crown”. This isn’t Charlie’s coronation, this is Cowmilla s victory lap. Look at the names mentioned that are speaking against Harry, ALL of them are cowmillas friends and mouth peices. Good god, Bowers book was blown out of the water by people he named in the book, they all came forward to call him out on his printed lies, Clarkson, look at what has happened to that vile mouthed troll and as for Morgan, the man sacked twice for lieing, phone hacking was his doing and he printed mocked up pictures of our troops supposedly mistreating prisoners. And THOSE are the Caliber of cowmillas friends, says it all really

    • DouchesOfCambridge says:

      They absolutely stopped talking about witch stepmother camilla and now are aiming to confuse and upset KFC so he takes the option that would create the most sh!t: reject your spare! Omg they want him to do that move so bad and that would just be beneficial to camilla and the press. She’s just the worst. I hope for once KFC will stand with his son.

    • QuiteContrary says:

      Yeah, Camilla doesn’t want Charles to reconcile with his son. And Charles doesn’t have the capacity to apologize anyway, so it works out just fine for Cruella.
      She gets to keep her vile circle of media minions, and Harry will not be around to hold her — or them — accountable.

  2. Becks1 says:

    charles’ office declines to comment but lots of sources are commenting, aren’t they?

    I can absolutely believe that there is a divide over this issue. Some at the palace (both BP and KP) are going to want to see H&M cut off, further humiliated (or at least they will *think* they are humiliating them), excluded from all events, punished for daring to speak their truth. But I can see others realizing what a bad look this is on a global stage, how petty this is, how MEAN this is – and pushing for a reconciliation (or at least for an attempted reconciliation) and for Charles to do whatever it takes to get the Sussexes at the coronation.

    And yes, Charles has no idea what to do. Wasn’t there an article a few months ago about how Charles would do whatever the last person he talked to told him to do? I think we’re seeing that play out now, that’s why the stories keep shifting.

    • Lucy says:

      I’m wondering if Bee, Fly and Spider (I think?) Are still there, and in what capacity. Because if Camilla joins with them, we know exactly how this will go. Considering everyone on staff is connected to either the Tories or the tabloids or both, and that’s their friend circle, I don’t think there’s much room for anything different.

      Charles might be dithering because he wants to be loved by everyone all the time, but I think in another few weeks he’ll be fully poisoned. I really don’t know what could get through to him.

      • Layla says:

        Willileaks henchman ( can’t remember if he’s the flu or the wasp. Btw great names Harry. A little offensive for the insects but still…) Simon case isn’t there. He went into the employ of Boris Johnson. They were caught partying during lockdown whilst millions were stuck in their homes dying or unable to meet up with friends or family

      • Becks1 says:

        Was Simon Case the Spider? Maybe the Wasp?

      • lleepar says:

        Simon Case was The Fly. The “Spare” described him:

        “The Fly had spent much of his career adjacent to, and indeed drawn to, shit. The offal of government, and media, the wormy entrails, he loved it, grew fat on it, rubbed his hands in glee over it … “

      • windyriver says:

        Edward Young, former private secretary for TQ, is still there, now working for Charles. Charles helped install him on her staff after getting Geidt dumped. He’s the one (Bee) who lied about the printer not working, and is involved with RAVEC and H&M being denied security.

        I see Clive Alderton referred to in articles as Charles’ principal aide and principal private secretary, but other articles referring to Young as a private secretary. In any event, he’s still there.

      • kyliegirl says:

        Simon Case or the Fly causes strife where ever he goes. There was even an article in the right rag the Spectator addressing this. He has no morals and lies come as easy as breathing. Despite all his recent scandals with Boris, after Charles became King, he was appointed the the Privy Counsel. How can there be peace if these are the people Charles and William surround themselves with?

      • aftershocks says:

        ^^ Thanks for figuring out the insect identities and sharing! If Case is the Fly, and Young is the Bee, then is Knauf the Wasp?

        BTW, let’s not forget that Simon Case was responsible for devising the foolish Flybe stunt. Thus, his nickname is apropos for more than one reason. 🪰

      • RoyalBlue says:

        They were the three private secretaries of Buckingham palace, Clarence house and Kensington palace who made Harry’s life hell. Case was the fly, Young was the bee and Alderton the wasp.

    • Alexandria says:

      Yup, the Sussexes can’t be humiliated. They’ve done nothing wrong. Even if Harry cannot wear his uniform they can’t take away his service. They’re not even using their HRH titles. They can take away the dukedom but the firm won’t rock that boat. They’ve lost any hold that’s why they’re freaking out, especially that witch.

    • Kingston says:

      The ‘Bee’ is dfinitely edward young.

    • SenseOfTheAbsurd says:

      That last bit rings true. In NZ we call a person who agrees with whoever spoke to them last a ‘windsock’.

    • Suusan says:

      It’s the same thing they said about the queen. Prince Charles isn’t stupid. They say that to make him and Elizabeth/Philip harmless. Charles actually has a lot of wins and initiatives. He knows what he is doing. I honestly thinks he loves his sons but he uses the press to keep all his family I line. Just like his mom used money. He was suppose to make eward a duke like 2 years ago. I think chuck wants him to earn it.

      Charles couldn’t control Andrew or scare him. That’s about the only one. Anne knew to keep to her people.

  3. SarahLee says:

    Wait a minute – KCIII is having dinner with Bower? That jumped off the screen at me! At every turn, they validate Harry’s points, don’t they? And he is “fond” of Harry? What a cold statement. “Fond of” is not something that parents typically say of their children. We love them. We don’t always like our kids, but we love them. We aren’t fond of them.

    • Snuffles says:

      That’s just the royal way. They aren’t effusive or touchy feely.

    • Eurydice says:

      Yes, this dinner jumped out at me, too. They’re not even bothering to cover up these relationships any more. And it’s no wonder that Bower, Wootton, et al, are viciously against H&M – they are literally dining at the royal trough.

    • Lurker25 says:

      Was Bower AT the dinner or repeating conversation someone else who attended passed along to him. The way these things are worded is very misleading.

      • Eurydice says:

        Yes, that sentence isn’t clear. But the next sentence – Bower urged him to act more harshly – makes it sound like Bower was actually at the dinner and this was a conversation between him and Charles.

      • lleepar says:

        I think the wording is deliberately misleading to allow the reader to infer that Bowels was actually present at the dinner. I don’t think he was. But it does show KC3 that someone else who WAS at the dinner is very chatty.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        I think it probably was the Escort who was there. If the media figures weren’t there, she definitely filled them in. I suspect that they were there. Let’s remember who their comm guy is now.

        I laughed when it said Harry had painted himself into a corner. I doubt Harry cares if he’s at the coronation. That’s Firm stuff. He wants a relationship with this father, which is separate from the Firm.

        I think we should have bingo cards for which of these royal rats cry first when they discover H&M aren’t there for the coronation. What are they going to do when they don’t have access to the Sussexes, don’t get leaks from the brf because they don’t know what’s going on, and are left with the brf members in the UK?

        Do you suppose it will be a match up of the two C’s: Camilla and Carole?

        I need to get a HUGE supply of popcorn. Wow, this is going to be entertaining.

  4. Yup, Me says:

    Charles wants the spotlight that Harry (and Meghan’s) presence would bring to his coronation, but without the accountability or action required to get them there.

    I’ve spent years laughing about these people’s stupid ribbons and made up status symbols and titles, but as long as there are people who are willing to act like their stupid ribbons are special, they will keep on keeping on.

    • Joanne says:

      What I hate most is those stupid, yellow post it notes the “royal” women wear on formal occasions. That and the tin soldier outfits the men wear. They all look silly.

    • Christine says:

      I will never forget who Chuck and Cam made sure were seated behind them at the queen’s funeral. Yeah, tell me again you aren’t desperate to harness Harry and Meghan’s magic for yourselves. It’s not even a little bit believable.

  5. Snuffles says:

    “That’s the real story, that’s what no one can say out loud: Charles is dithering, Charles doesn’t know what to do.”

    Charles is waiting to see which way the wind is blowing. I think Harry wishes to Charles would stop caring so much about what other people think when it comes to family relations and just go with his heart. Charles is incapable of that.

    • Shawna says:

      Diana was right: Charles is too weak.

      • Alexandria says:

        Chuck craves validation. Didn’t he loathe the media but love it when they praise him. Should we blame Phillip?

      • Becks1 says:

        Harry touches on that in his book, I think near the end he may come out and say it – that Charles craves the love and approval of the media because he never had the full love and approval of his parents.

    • WiththeAmericann says:

      This is the real story. It’s why the queen had to keep working in her 90s. She knew chuckie wasn’t up to it. But even with the warnings, could anyone have predicted how weak, how utterly incompetent and childish he appears.

      This is the king. If this were centuries ago, his weakness would have led to an invasion and attack of the country. As it is now, he basically doesn’t do anything but take up resources so maybe it’s okay. But his mother managed to keep the country stable. He won’t ever be that force.

      • SomeChick says:

        she knew chuckie wasn’t up to it, and she didn’t want to have to see any of this play out. what a toxic mess! Camzilla is out here shredding his reputation and he doesn’t even see it.

      • Mel says:

        Queen Victoria also sat on the throne much longer than she should have because a) she blamed(wrongly) her son for his death and
        b) She thought he was an empty headed, flighty twit.

      • aftershocks says:

        ^^ I think you mean Queen Victoria wrongly blamed her eldest son for his father’s/ her husband’s (Prince Albert’s) premature death.

  6. Rapunzel says:

    Why the f–k does Tom Bower have the King’s ear to urge him to act harshly against a Prince? Seriously. Dan Wooton? Why are these idiots within talking range of the monarch at a dinner party?

    • Brit says:

      Whew, I always thought William and Kate were bad but Charles and Camilla are something else. Camilla is very shrewd and sneaky. Tom Bower, Jeremy Clarkson, Piers Morgan, Angela Levin, Arthur Edwards are literally surrounding them. That’s trash to the heavens. Imagine having that rift raft in your ear. They can’t make peace because the people who benefit/profit from the rift are media people.

      • aftershocks says:

        ^^ Yep @Brit. And don’t forget about Harmsworth and Murdoch surrounding the Crown too, hovering menacingly.

    • Kingston says:

      Youre giving that Bowel movement exactly what he wanst…..clout. The story was written deliberately with ambiguity: the reader is left to ask, just as you & others here hv done – was bowel at the dinner or not/did he actually speak directly to charles or not.

      ALL of these pathetic britshidtrag dolts want everyone to believe they get close to the royals when in fact, the closest they get is to the kitchen backdoor for scraps thrown at them by the help.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        Kingston, I said above before I saw your post that if he wasn’t there, it likely is the Escort giving him information.

  7. JackieJacks says:

    I know that Harry especially would love to be able to work things out with his family and come to a common ground but I wonder if he needs to be at peace with the fact that this won’t ever happen. People who are so delusionally dysfunctional – like the Royals – have their heads so far up their own asses that there is so reasoning with them. Getting out was the first step but maybe it’s time to chuck this all up as a loss and once they complete promotion of the autobiography just move on to bigger and better things. I’m looking forward to seeing what they’ve got up their sleeve.

    • Amy Bee says:

      Harry said in the docuseries that he accepts that he probably won’t get an apology or accountability.

    • Jenn Jameson says:

      Harry-You can’t keep going to the hardware store to buy oranges. They don’t keep stock in them. And they don’t value oranges. I know, a weird analogy, but it has helped me in my own familial struggles.

  8. Lady Digby says:

    This is all performative musing and so much eyewash and I confidently predict royal sources continue to brief from every angle, KC does nothing constrictive towards a genuine reconciliation and both H and M stay home and celebrate their much loved son’s birthday!
    Meanwhile the real debate should be why do we need a Monarchy at all and why pay for an expensive coronation during a cost of living crisis?

    • Kingston says:

      I believe strongly that the govt is breathing down the royals’ neck, pressuring them to “fix this.” Because, unlike the insular, parochial brits, including charles, they can clearly see the damage on the global scale thats being done to britain by charles and his inept cabal.

      • SomeChick says:

        that’s an interesting theory. and given the way they leak so much stuff that’s the opposite of the truth, perhaps this explains the ridiculous bit about how Charlie was begging Sunak to ban Harry. as usual it’s the opposite.

        although I’d think the tories would welcome the distraction from the mess they’ve made.

      • Rnot says:

        The Tories? I don’t think their worldview would allow them to comprehend that there’s a cost to be paid for gratuitous cruelty.

  9. Myeh says:

    Charles seems like the take no action route when confronted with wrongdoing whether his own, his wife’s or his other son’s or daughter in law. I find him really lacking… The whole I’m aristocratic in my silence is a really bad look. I’m sure the white press will keep attacking the sussexes but any decent human will read Harry’s account and be able to discern right from wrong

  10. Brit says:

    This family is a mess and Harry is so naive and hopeful when it comes to this institution and family. They are stuck, trapped in a toxic cycle of their own making. What can they do? They can’t upset their media lackeys because they know too much and they’re already not that popular despite what pretend poll say otherwise. Do you think Jeremy Clarkson, Daily Mail, Piers Morgan, Angela Levin and whoever else is up Camilla’s backside doing the dirty work is going to allow a reconciliation without something for them in return. Same with William and Dan Wooton etc. You feed the beast, you have to keep feeding it because it will turn on you. I doubt they will ever make peace because they can’t stop what they have started and the press make too much money off the Sussexes.

    • Underhill says:

      Seems to me that this is the entire story in a nutshell. Parasites feeding on other parasites.

    • aftershocks says:

      Yep. I’ve been pondering this too after reading Harry’s book. He matter-of-factly told us quite a bit on a number of levels, filling in some pieces of the puzzle we suspected and other pieces we weren’t sure about, and yet others we didn’t know existed. But it’s a big puzzle, far from being completed. Harry left a lot out, possibly for further back-up insurance.

      The problem for the monarchy is they are just corrupt at the heart of it all. And Chuck is so weak. He doesn’t have the courage and backbone that Harry possesses. As the article says, they are bargaining on doing nothing at the moment, aside from trying to hold up the teeter-tottering status quo.

      If Chuck had any courage, leadership, or vision, he’d clean house of all the grasping, power-mongering handlers. Then he’d just own up to whatever secrets the media has over him. Chuck was advised to let it be leaked about the bags of cash with Fawcett taking the fall because firm handlers wanted it out there before Chuck became King. Why not reveal the rest, so the media can be tamed? Harry has done and is doing a lot of this work already with his memoir and with the lawsuits. The monarchy also has the Tory government to contend with too, of course.

  11. Shawna says:

    I doubt Harry’s holding his breath! He’s specified his terms and probably feels quite peaceful about them. After having the fastest-selling first week for a memoir in history, he’s got to be somewhat convinced that his story is getting out. As such, the carrot of going to the coronation must pale in comparison. Fly over to be scrutinized and excluded over his own son’s birthday? Get real.

  12. Eurydice says:

    So interesting. Camilla has lunch with her media cronies and now Charles is having dinner with his media cronies. And so much for confidentiality, when Bower is not only telling Charles what to do about Harry, but the whole thing ends up in the DB. How does this not make Charles to look like an utter weakling?

    • MsIam says:

      And yet they are so, so worried about things ending up in Harry’s book. They need to be worried about all of these toxic vultures they surround themselves with.

  13. Brassy Rebel says:

    That last bit about Harry painting himself into a corner by saying he won’t come to the coronation without an apology. They really think that Harry wants to come to the coronation? Who is really the delusional one here?

    And Charles is now King. That should make it obvious that it’s his responsibility to resolve this conflict. Instead, he’s being bullied to escalate by a bunch of media commentators. The impression being given is of a man who is indecisive and weak. Some king he’s turning out to be.

    • MsIam says:

      Yeah, they really believe that Harry is pining away to come to the coronation, when really its the media that’s doing the pining. I imagine that Harry and Meghan have so much coming up this year with Invictus, podcasts, etc. that they would be relieved to not have the headache of attending Chuck’s party on their plate too.

  14. equality says:

    So it is beneath KC to apologize when he wrongs someone? Wow, what an inspiring leader of a church.

  15. Jais says:

    Harry says he wants them to apologize to his wife, to Meghan. So if they went to the coronation, the it would be assumed some sort of apology would have taken place. And they just can’t have that. It would imply complicity in her abuse. Bower, Whooton, Levin, Morgan, Clarkson and Vine cannot have that. Clarkson couldn’t even address Meghan in his apology. I doubt Charles would want to give her one but he might have done it. But I don’t think Camilla, EY and all the talking heads would ever forgive him if he did. Their misogynistic hatred of her is an obsession and gives them a purpose for living. It’s grotesque.

  16. Pinkosaurus says:

    I think this is a message/threat from the Rota to Charles that they won’t let go. They want to keep the “Harry is ousted/snubbed” story alive and keep vilifying H&M. They will not loosen their claws on Charles and William without a fight and that is exactly what Harry is trying to do.

  17. B says:

    Charles is a turtle on its back. The whole royal system is set up so that he never has to take responsibility for anything. Additionally when he was the soft regent he hid behind Betty. Harry has made it clear that the briefing comes with the approval of the royals and the Rota is their PR arm. So Charles can’t pretend the smears and “calls for punishment” aren’t coming from his people. The UK govt refuses to ban Harry.

    He is now King, the govt won’t interfere and the rota contract is exposed and useless. Charles no longer has any way to pretend like this decision is out of his hands. He will have to make a decision (the UK press or his son) and own the consequences and he literally can’t do it because there will be a negative consequence to him no matter what he decides.

    • Mary Pester says:

      The thing that I think stands out the most in all this, is out of the whole bloomin lot of them, the only one to have the courage of his convictions and take a stand is HARRY. He said before he left the UK that he would not give an interview to any UK rag again and he hasn’t. Harry doesn’t leak to the press, his friends don’t and anything that needs saying, HE SAYS, not some tame media mouth peice. So well done Harry, even thousands of miles away you are showing the British Royals how it SHOULD be done

  18. Chantal says:

    Of course they don’t want peace talks. The BM and the anti Sussex Brigade has made millions off this one sided war and will do everything in their power to keep it going, unless C-Rex decides to say “enough”. It’s very interesting that the article name checks woot woot and Bowel and notably says “at a recent dinner party…Bowel urged C-Rex to act more harshly.” How long has Bowel had the king’s ear?

    So Cam has lunch with jc and pm et al and C-Rex is at a dinner party with Bowel and who knows how many other RRs. Unfortunately C-Rex has way too many vipers hissing and whispering in his ears, coloring his perceptions and views of his son. He is also plagued with indecision and pettyness. As long as this remains the status quo, the Sussexes will continue to be in danger and chances of any form of reconciliation greatly reduced.

    • Brit says:

      It’s sickening that he will talk to these disgusting, racist, sexist reporters but not even speak to his son. In what world do you put Tom Bower and Piers Morgan before your own flesh and blood? This a very parasitic relationship with the press and Harry should be glad that he’s out of it.

  19. what's inside says:

    C-Rex is a spiteful little boy who has trust issues and mommy issues. He only does what feels good to him and listens only to those who make him feel better. He is not wise or forgiving. Harry has got to know this, but also does not want to lose whatever parental and sibling love he feels he had. It is a hard row to hoe.

  20. These people are Dumb. That’s it; They’re just dumb, and I mean dumb. One of the biggest reasons for all of their tone-deafness. How the hell your son has the #1 book in the world talking about the Palace’s close relationship with the press and press briefings, and all of your sycophants’ reporter friends come out and deny it? Here you are, hosting a party with Dan Wootton and Tom Bower, giving you advice on handling your son.

    All of this is taking place while people are still reading your son’s book. You cannot make this shit up.
    Now I understand why all the Royals constantly copy everything Harry and Meghan do. Right down to their clothes, initiatives, projects, and also how Harry and Meghan greet and take pictures with people.
    The other royals are just clueless.

  21. Kingston says:

    LOL I’m just over here DYING for Harry to begin his podcast. I have a very strong feeling I know what its theme will be.

    Hint: it will be on one or more of the many many themes raised in “Spare.”

  22. Mel says:

    If Charles makes peace with H&M, that means that the press will no longer be able to use them for their ridiculous stories. They don’t want that, they need to keep making money off of them by making up these dumb stories. Cams is an awful person, I think Charles deserves her.

  23. NMB says:

    Charles is an idiot. William is an idiot. They learned how to be idiots. The Queen had this stupid divide as well and did nothing. The monarchy is in a precarious situation. It will fall. These people are such morons. All of them. I’d be LIVID if I were a taxpayer having my hard earned money having to support the clowns.

  24. Ciotog says:

    The royals still don’t understand that they need Harry more than he needs them. He wants a father and a brother, that’s it! Otherwise, he has fame, fortune, and happiness on his own terms–and he hasn’t revealed any of the dirtiest dirt, like William’s affair. They think they’re in the power position–they’re not!

    • KP says:

      They really believe their right wing press buddies and polls from said papers! That’s why they were shocked about what happened with the flop tour.
      They live in a bubble and are oblivious to the rumblings around them. They are arrogant. It reminds of how trump and his team were heading to the second elections. They felt untouchable and believed the press around them.

      I remember thinking pride comes before the fall and I’m feeling the same for Charles and William. Their arrogance will really be their downfall.
      As Meghan said it didn’t have to be this way! Oh well.

  25. Liz Version 700 says:

    Charles looks like a week ninny. He looks like this pathetic man being buffeted by evil grey men and his mean wife who is too petulant and silly to make a decision. That is the best possible reading …otherwise he looks like. Sociopath who wants to keep putting his son’s family in danger. He is the King of nothing but a dysfunctional mess.

  26. ArtFossil says:

    Rather than being “painted into a corner” I’d say that Harry has put Charles in check.

    (Off topic but Audible just sent out $10 because the delivery of Spare was delayed on publication day! I was very happy for Harry that day as it was obvious that Amazon’s servers were being hammered by the demand.)

  27. Amy Bee says:

    It’s actually Charles who’s backed into a corner. Harry has said he accepts that he won’t get an apology or accountability from the Royal Family and that reconciliation can only happen with those two things. That means Harry although still open to talk, he knows that those talks will probably not happen and as he has said he’s moved on.

  28. Kara says:

    One thing is certain: King Charles III is a very weak man.

    He’s allowed all of his adult relationships to be formed, influenced, and sometimes even dictated, by one person after another. First, it was by a series of surrogate fathers like Lord Mountbatten and Laurens van der Post, and then he escaped into the comforting arms of Camilla and their sycophantic aristocratic set. And now he finds himself at the mercy of the Royal Rota.

    I doubt any of these people he’s surrounded himself with have ever had his best interests in mind. Mountbatten just wanted him to marry his granddaughter. The aristocratic set surely saw his need for affirmation and used it to gain favor.

    Camilla has to be worst of all. It pains me to lean into the idea of her as an evil adulteress and wicked stepmother–if this were a fictional story, the trope would seem so misogynistic!–but I can’t find any way out of it. Camilla befriended the 19-year-old Diana intention of staying Diana’s future husband’s lover. She then leaked information to the press about Diana being “crazy” whilst whispering in C-Rex’s ear about how terrible and unsupportive his wife was. She traded information to the press about Diana’s sons–her husband’s sons!–to save her own children, creating distance between Charles and his sons.

    After reading “Spare,” I found it interesting that Kate and William found time to have dinner with Chuck and Cams as soon as Harry and Meghan went on tour in Australia and New Zealand and thought to share the “issues” they had with the couple. Harry mentioned his father starting to take a shine to Meghan, the “We don’t have funding for her” issue aside. They’d been invited, alone, on vacation with him to Castle Mey. Harry was feeling closer to his father. Charles was supposedly thrilled that she was pregnant. But now, while they were on tour, William wanted to have dinner and discuss grievances from months prior. It was as if he was starting to feel his influence waning and, knowing that his father is easily swayed, needed to get on top of it.

    That Harry and Meghan’s tour was turning out so successfully was just a cherry on top. It made it easier to feed into Charles’s weaknesses.

    He’ll never reconcile with Harry, even if he wants to, because he’s weak and surrounded by people who know how to tap into all of his weaknesses–his jealousy, his inferiority complex, his imposter syndrome, etc.

    I can’t help but find C-Rex a bit tragic. If he’d been born Joe Shmoe in middle-class England, he’d probably have become an engaging history professor–the forever-bachelor type who goes on a little too long about the everything, but who always volunteers to host trips and who everyone asks to be their thesis adviser.

    • windyriver says:

      I’d add in he’s also at the mercy of his advisors, however they came to be chosen, and who I suspect are responsible for recommending at least some of the actions that were taken against H&M, especially post their leaving. That’s not to say whatever Charles might have experienced hasn’t warped him into a person fully capable of petty meanness and resentment and visciosness himself.

      In any event, I think this is a good analysis, and agree about Charles being a bit of a tragic figure, which I assume is why Harry still feels compassion for him. I was picturing him finally being reconciled with Harry on his deathbed…

      • Jennifer says:

        At this point I’m pretty sure that if Charles or William was dying of a horrible polo accident and Harry flew in, they’d refuse to see him on their deathbeds.

    • Solidgold says:

      Disagree. Charles is conniving figure. He surrounds himself with pawns to do his bidding. He is extremely image conscious and desperate for adoration.

      I think he and Bill are happy Harry is gone.

      • Kara says:

        I agree that Charles is extremely image-conscious and desperate for adoration.

        And I do think that he’s spent a lot of his life surrounding himself with people who were sycophantic, at some level, and that he figured they’d do his bidding. But I don’t think that’s worked out for him. That never works out for people who have the kind of weaknesses that Charles has.

        His intense craving for love and admiration makes has always made him weak and susceptible to the very kind of people who care little for such things. That’s what I was trying to illustrate.

        Charles is the kind of man who only hears the last thing whispered into his ear by someone who “loves” him and has his best interests in mind.

      • Mel says:

        I don’t believe that they’re happy that he’s gone. They’re unhappy because the workhorse/ whipping boy is out of their grasp. They’re unhappy that he stands up for himself instead of letting stuff slide like he did before he met Meghan. I think they saw the change in him and didn’t like it.

      • Solidgold says:

        Charles and Bill are pigs in shit! The gutter press will cover for them and they will do their bidding. Harry returning with his justified animosity towards the tabloids will upset the good thing they have going.

    • Gubbinal says:

      Harry’s words that his father, C3, looks up most to Henry V among his ancestors are telling. Henry V, the great leader and successful lover, who began his early years surrounded by Falstaff-like creatures—Dickie Mountbatten, Marmaduke Hussey, and Van Der Post.
      C3 has not yet had his Agencourt moment.

      I was struck by how much C3 seems to be living as if his life were one of a sequence of Shakespearean plays.

  29. Honey says:

    Even though the family and the institution are treated as one entity, at the end of the day IMHO, this comes down to a family affair. The original wound(ing) occurred within the family. Charles—in his role of dad, father and Pa—should have a sit down talk with Harry. Explain. Apologize. Snot and cry together. Charles needs to repair his relationship with his son, first and foremost, IMO. It’s only then that they can sanely talk about the abuses that happened at the institutional level. One stems from the other but the most base is family.

    Sometimes, for the sake of your own well-being and sanity, it is necessary to put up firm boundaries and to limit a person’s access to you. In this case, that’s both H’s call and C’s call to make and the chattering or gossiping classes. Me and my 2 cents 😂: once again, I think Charles should meet privately with Harry to mend their personal / family relationship (father-to-son) first. Then, they can talk institutional abuses. I think to a certain extent that the relationship can be saved/repaired.

  30. Emily_C says:

    Everyone saying Charles is weak is buying in to his “pity me!” narcissist narrative. He is king, and before that, he was heir. He made his choices, which he always had far more power to do than any of us here. He’s not weak — he’s sneaky, sly, and cruel.

  31. aquarius64 says:

    The BM coven doesn’t want this family feud to end because they are getting hood rich of this mess. Hood rich meaning the money is local and it has limits (see Jeremy Clarkson). They get an extra thrill of having control of the head of state and his heir and no telling how much dirt they have on the Windsors. Any courtiers or MP with half some sense needs to get to Chuck and tell him the monarchy and the UK look bad because of this foolishness. Also, the media scrum is sending up the Bat Signal to an enemy nation the BRF can be blackmailed.

    • Solidgold says:

      “Also, the media scrum is sending up the Bat Signal to an enemy nation the BRF can be blackmailed.”

      Just like Trump and other degenerates.

  32. Saucy&Sassy says:

    Solidgold, they need him to get the global attention. The big events in UK around the royal family will not get the attention that it would if the Sussexes are there. It’s simple math. That’s why this has always been confusing to me. The members of the Firm are determined to ruin their reputations globally in order to not have negative stories written about them in the UK. It’s beyond understanding at this point.

    • Solidgold says:

      A coronation of a king will get global attention simply for historical reasons. The Sussexes attendance is not necessary. The tabloids will make a stink out of it but that is what they do. The rest of the global media will document events. I think people give the tabloids too much consideration. They can make you believe the sky is green if they howl loud enough.

      • Kel says:

        I think it’s somewhere in between to be honest. The coronation will be a big deal because we haven’t had one like this in years BUT it’s an even bigger deal/interest because of all the events surrounding Harry and Meghan leaving. Most of the broadcasting/commentating leading up to it and during the coronation will center around Harry and Meghan just like it did for Philips funeral and the jubilee and Betty’s funeral.
        Add in increased talks of colonization/reparations/racism from what’s happened to Meghan then it’s even more beneficial for them to have Meghan there. These will be huge topics..
        Most Americans could care less about the BRF but Meghan elevated the interest in them without a doubt.

      • equality says:

        With some audiences maybe. I have no interest. If H&M attended I might check out some details. To watch the whole boring thing? No way. Even if they were there.

      • Saucy&Sassy says:

        equality, I have no interest either. I just don’t think KFC has much of a following in the US, but who knows. I could certainly see some newscasters bringing up Diana.

  33. Beverley says:

    Poor things. What a conundrum!
    They must have H&M attend, or there’ll be no glamour or shine.
    Worst yet, their absence will be the entire focus.

    They can’t have H&M attend, or their presence will be the entire focus.

    What’s a weak-willed, yellow bellied, insincere, uncaring, spineless Charles to do?
    It’s a lose-lose issue, period.

  34. Eggbert says:

    I really wish Harry would give up on the hope that his family will ever change and hold themselves accountable for their awful actions. Just move on and learn how to forgive them in your heart but not try to keep making being any kind of working royal work.

  35. Janice Hill says:

    It’s so sad that what should be a moral decision about doing what is right for their father-son relationship is mentioned nowhere.

  36. BrazenHussey says:

    Good, insightful comments here.

    If Charles & William don’t take this opportunity that Harry has given them to shed the yolk of the tabloid press, they truly are fools. Especially Charles.

    He should reign in Camilla (divorce her ideally) and certainly don’t give her the title after all. He should bring in a skilled Olivia Pope-like person and just clean house. Get rid of the tabloid editors, etc. Be a King, ffs.

    Of course he won’t do the right things. He probably relies on Camilla & her tabloids just to threaten and keep Bulliam under control. I have no doubts egg & mumbles would LOVE to get Chucky3 out of the way & usurp that throne NOW.

    • ArtFossil says:

      I do love your vision of an Olivia Pope cleaning house!

    • aftershocks says:

      @BrazenHussey: “If Charles & William don’t take this opportunity that Harry has given them to shed the yolk of the tabloid press, they truly are fools.”

      I agree! BTW, you probably mean ‘yoke,’ not ‘yolk.’ However, when I think about it, both terms seem to work in this context. 😉

  37. robin samuels says:

    Camilla is one of the dragons Harry mentioned in an interview. She resented Meghan from the onset. It’s not for her ethnicity; though it may play a small role, it’s her beauty, intellect, and poise. All the attributes Camilla lacks.
    Throughout her life, Camilla is the cigarette-smoking, liquor-drinking, loud-talking British version of Hedda Hopper. Horseback riding skills make her one of the guys. Her marriage to Andrew Parker Bowles is her link to social interaction with the upper echelon. She is not a classy lady. I always needed clarification on Charles’ attraction to Camilla. Still, after the Sussex smear campaign began, I quickly realized Camilla has strong media connections through family members. She keeps Charles’ press coverage clean in exchange for royal internal gossip. I’m convinced Charles leads a double life, and Camilla has the key to the skeleton closet. Prince Phillip’s constant push to make Charles challenging reflects his fear of him not just being weak but not masculine enough.
    I respect whatever decision Harry and Meghan make as a couple. Regardless of whether they do or don’t attend, the media coverage will focus on them. It will be difficult for Harry to see Camilla crowned as Queen, knowing her role in his mother’s misery. William can’t keep his promise to restore HRH to Diana, and both sons must bow to Camilla. What a life!

  38. HarryforLife says:

    Harry himself has stated/asked it plainly: What is it exactly that he and Meg have done wrong? Existing? I guess now add leaving and robbing them of a whipping recipient. The BM risk losing their cash cow as the Sussexes plan to (and can) lay low. Hence all the coronation frenzy. UpChuck and Wails will never ever apologize or take ownership.

    Among all the sycophants Charles has around him, what I think is sad is the one woman who seemed to care for him (enough to naively put up with his crap and be honest and push him) was Diana, and his own insecurity of her drove him to Camilla.

    Harry said himself, he wants a family, not an institution. For someone raised by nannies and essentially abandoned emotionally by his parents, you’d think Chuck wants to break the cycle and embrace his son.

    I do feel for Harry though. Dysfunctional though they may be… that’s his family, and it has to hurt when family stands adversarially against you and, as he confirmed even with the printer story, bullies you out.

    Obvi, on the other side of the world and BM drama, Harry, Meg, Prince Archie and Princess Lili are financially independent, winning awards, donating actual dollars to charities and helping the world advocating for things they are passionate about. I hope they skip the coronation, post the invite on their Archwell site with a statement saying “sorry, can’t make it” so the world can see they were invited AND chose not to go and that Charles et al have not apologized. Expose their hypocrisy to the hilt!

    PS: sorry for the long winded post lol

    • Tessa says:

      Charles was involved with Camilla the whole time. He already had been driven to Camilla before he married Diana. He got the heirs he needed with Diana and was too weak to commit to a real marriage.

      • HarryforLife says:

        @Tessa: Fair point indeed!

        Edit: I should say – “drove him to Camilla more/permanently” but yeah. Just terrible, weak excuse of a man.

  39. RoyalBlue says:

    This is one of my favorite threads. I actually don’t agree there are warring factions in Charles camp. I believe his camp is a firm NO for the Sussexes coming to the coronation under any circumstances. The conflicting messages are more because they are agents of chaos, intentionally stirring up the news and presenting multiple options so people get fed up of the sussexes and ultimately blame them for this.

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