At this time one week ago, Buckingham Palace had just spent a solid 72 hours on a briefing campaign against Prince Harry in the wake of Harry’s BBC interview. King Charles’s courtiers complained that Harry was “gaslighting” his father and the public, that Charles “can’t” speak to his son, and that Charles simply doesn’t have the power, authority or inclination to guarantee his redheaded son’s safety in the UK. The briefing campaign ended with a whimper, as palace courtiers told the royal rota WhatsApp that they sincerely hoped Harry wouldn’t overshadow the VE Day commemorations across the week. Now, today, one week later, the dust has settled. The VE Day commemorations went ahead as planned and the British media covered all of it… alongside writing dozens of hit pieces about the Sussexes. As it turns out, everything that’s happened in the past ten days has just reinforced the fact that Charles sucks as a father and a head of state, and this Sussex situation will define his reign. Look who suddenly changed his tune – Tom Sykes at the Daily Beast wrote this in his Royalist newsletter:
This week, the United Kingdom marked the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day with a series of poignant and celebratory events. The Royal Family—including King Charles III, Prince William, and Princess Kate—attended a service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey, observing two minutes of silence in remembrance. The commemorations culminated in a classic royal concert at Horse Guards Parade, celebrating the resilience and unity of the nation with plenty of Union Jack imagery.
Notably absent from these events was Prince Harry despite being one of the very few living royals to have seen active military service (in Afghanistan). While it’s valid to argue that Harry has behaved unwisely in litigating his grievances with the royal family in public, youthful idiocy in princes is usually forgiven. Indeed, a YouGov poll this week indicated that Harry still maintains a 56 percent favorability rating in the United States.
Kings are expected to be wiser, and the failure to get Harry back inside the royal tent reflects exceptionally poorly on Charles. Harry‘s ongoing absence as the king fights cancer—which Harry did his best last week to remind us is probably going to kill him in the not-too-distant future without actually saying it—represents a painful indictment of King Charles’s authority, not to mention his oft-vaunted alleged convening power.
Sources close to the king and Prince William have repeatedly told The Daily Beast that the principal block to reconciliation is William. Why is William able to thwart the king? Again, it’s all connected to Charles’ decision to announce he had cancer. William‘s team has argued that Charles cannot bequeath his heir a settlement with Harry that William cannot live with. With the cat out of the bag, Charles increasingly looks like a lame duck monarch to many.
This was so inevitable, I’m surprised that I didn’t predict it – after a series of stale and pale royal outings for VE Day, people reacted with horror that the left-behind Windsors are so charisma-free. Charles’s courtiers spent too much time screaming about Harry, forgetting that Charles is actually supposed to be this big uniter, a king with convening power, a power he has failed to use to repair his relationship with his son and mixed-race daughter-in-law. And so now that people are like “wait, Charles sucks,” the palace is blaming the whole thing on Prince William. “William is the reason why Charles can’t talk to Harry!” Sure.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red.
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla attends a VE Day 80th Anniversary Service at Westminster Abbey, London, England, UK on Thursday 8 May, 2025.,Image: 996578042, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng/Avalon
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- (left to right) King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996578922, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a service of thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996579342, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- King Charles III and Queen Camilla attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996579476, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, London, UK, 08 May2025.,Image: 996583221, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: JULIAN SIMMONDS/Avalon
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- King Charles III, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Prince of Wales, and Catherine, Princess of Wales, attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey on the 80th anniversary of VE Day, London, UK, 08 May2025.,Image: 996583685, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: JULIAN SIMMONDS/Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996583915, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- King Charles III, Queen Camilla, the Prince and Princess of Wales attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day. Picture date: Thursday May 8, 2025. NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS,Image: 996584301, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR 48 HOURS- Fee Payable Upon reproduction – For queries contact Avalon sales@Avalon.red London +44 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles +1 310 822 0419 Berlin +49 30 76 212 251 Madrid +34 91 533 42 89, *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Avalon.red/Avalon
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- King Charles III leaves after attending attend a Service of Thanksgiving at Westminster Abbey in London on the 80th anniversary of VE Day.,Image: 996608670, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Aaron Chown/Avalon
Right on cue. Who will the incandescent heir brief to in response? Roya again?
Chuck you’re a spineless dimwit. You and Willy are so much alike.
So now they have turned the swords against each other.. love to see it. Your right Peggy is exactly like his father.
@Hypocrisy
No……..its not true that peggysue is “exactly like his father.”
As far as one can see so far, based both on his own action and behavior, as well as that of his handlers and sycophants, Peggysue is in the unique position of already being able to be judged as the worse monarch that britain shall have bequeathed to that nation of benighted sods if and when he gets to wear that shiny big hat and call himself “king.”
William isn’t the boss of Charles, but Camilla is. I think she is the biggest road block..
Pegs is always incandescent and obsessed with Harry and “taking away the Sussex titles”. Pegs is the big road block. He is out of control.
This would never have happened if Charles had remained married to Diana. The step-mom is not helping. Pretty sure Camilla has been poisoning Chuck against Harry for a long time. Camilla has to kiss Willy’s ass because he will control the money strings after Chuck croaks.
I think that Charles and Diana should not have married in the first place, but why on earth would you wish them to have remained unhappily married? Divorce is not the end of the world for kids. Charles didn’t handle anything well at all, still hasn’t, but divorce in and of itself can be absolutely the right path to take (says the child of….5 divorces? I have loads of step and pseudo-siblings and love all my siblings and niblings)
Current events might “never have happened” as they did, but the results wouldn’t have necessarily been GOOD, either.
Agreed. Charles and Diana should never have married. Camilla or no, that marriage was always going to fail.
Charles and Diana were coparenting and getting along. Camilla is the fly in the ointment. At least then. Now William is actively against reconciliation as well.
I would say, Good work Camilla. I don’t know what is true but it sounds like Camilla is trying to make Charles look better, business as usual i guess.
Good point. Must show my usefulness.
Camilla is likely just as much of a reason Charles won’t speak to Harry, but I guess she decided it’s time to pull it back a bit.
I’m sure Camilla got a hold of KC balls too. He will never blame Bathsheba for anything. They all suck. I think it’s safe to say. The RF are drowning in the chaos they created for the Sussex. The BM is so predictable. The dust has settled Charles will not give Meghan, Archie and Lili security. Pictures of the Sussex children are PRICELESS. If Lili looks anything like her grandmother the RR will never know anytime soon. The press and fashion industry need the Sussex. I have yet to hear Kate’s poker dot dress , brown bag n shoes sold out.
Whether father or brother are head of CE and treating their son or brother as an outcast then that reflects badly on both of them.
Exactly. At the moment, this reflects badly on the king. But at some point, William is going to be the king and it will look badly on him. Then what?
William assaulted haŕry. He outed the sussex location in Canada. His rep on ravec advocated to deny security too. He was happy to sic paps on Harry’s car when Harry was back for the Diana statue unveiling, then trash talked him at the event the next day. William already had a blatant, violent track record here.
Especially if Willi is as vindictive to Harry and Meghan as everybody expects.
Ok Chuckles is getting some bad press and so he needs to throw someone under the bus so Peg is the scapegoat. It’s Pegs fault Chuckles doesn’t talk to Harry lol. No wonder Peg wanted Harry to never marry and be there for Peg so he would be the one who always takes the fall. This is such a sick family I’m not sure that any therapy would help them because they are too far gone.
Of course this is true but it really is an indictment on CRex, however. If he can’t assert himself over his heir who derives all ability to do or prevent anything from daddy’s sole authority, then the monarchy really is veering off a cliff and all Republicans has to do is sit back and watch the sad end of the show.
If Charles has a personal conversation with Harry and a personal relationship how is that committing Will to anything? How stupid can you be. Every time I think the BM has hit the bottom for stupid, they go even lower. If YouGov gives him a 56%, that means he has much higher favorability. I have done their surveys and they carefully hand pick who is asked what. They have also never once asked about any RF members.
Unfortunately that 56% was in the US, it is about 30% in Britain, The Sun and the Wail are the two most popular papers.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/863823/most-liked-members-of-the-royal-family/
Harry’s position has improved slightly and Meghan has gone down slightly.
I think these surveys are meaningless. The DM has 5 million! upvotes on some negative comments about Harry and Meghan (comments section). So it is rigged. Who are the ones who pump out millions of upvotes. The DM and Sun are also two of the shamefully biased newspapers. They were after Harry and Meghan for years. I don’t take these surveys seriously
They asked less than 1300 people. Pointless.
Doesn’t camillas nephew work at yougov?
Their surveys in those tabloids and on YouGov are heavily controlled as to respondents. That means any of the results are meaningless.
Why would anyone expect Harry’s poll numbers to be good in the UK? Every single media outlet pumps out daily negative coverage about them. That is one of the reasons they left the UK and why it is not safe for them to return. They have made a new life for themselves now in the US where opinion polls don’t matter unless you are a politician.
I actually worked for a reputable opinion poll company, the usual number of people asked is about 2,000 which is enough to get a good cross section, 2,000 or 20,000 will give the same result. It is also balanced by age and social class to reflect the general population. Ignoring the polls in newspapers with their own axes to grind the figures have been more or less consistent for the last few years.
Can you imagine the Queen ever letting Charles define what she could or couldn’t do? It’s beyond laughable. None of this makes a bit of sense, including Tom Sykes writing a column that doesn’t include an attack on Harry. What’s going on??
I think even the Royal Rota knows Will and Kate aren’t going to be enough. Although they are still attacking H&M, there has been a noticeable effort to complement Meghan recently. The tone has been changing. Perhaps they’ve accepted Harry isn’t coming back without Meghan.
It isn’t difficult to see how besotted they are with each other. Even if they fell out Harry would never leave his children anyway.
Their children. Why would they fall out?
Tessa, sorry I wasn’t clear, I mean if Harry and Meghan decided to split, Harry wouldn’t come back to Britain because of their children. Having said that, when William becomes King he will, according to British law, be the guardian of both of Harry’s children as the 5th and 6th heirs to the throne. A wonder if the American courts would allow them to be taken if William demanded it. William shouldn’t have that sort of power over them. I don’t think it would go down well with the British public.
Charles is showing us how weak he really is vis-a-vis William. And William is showing us that (a) he really is the vindictive sob we all thought he was, and (b) he’s afraid Harry and Meghan will start showing up randomly and upstaging him and Waity.
At the end of the day, iCharles should still make an arrangement with Harry, even if Bulliam “may not want to live with” such an arrangement. Agree with everybody here that Camilla got sick and tired of the “Charles is the bad guy” narrative and is briefing the press about Willy. But Charles still looks weak.
Charles has a mean streak of his own making.
Obviously “living with prior arrangements” is not a priority in the Royal “Family”. QE II wanted Harry and his family to always have the security they needed. Charles did away with that. QE II “gifted” Frogmore Cottage to Harry and Meghan. Charles did away with that.
So obviously if Charles can do away with all of QE II’s wishes, God only knows what havoc Bulliam will wreak. Hopefully the astrologer’s predictions will come true in that regard.
Charles always was weak, it is why he married Diana, bullied into it by his father and his grandmother.
We’re frequently told that one of Charles’ superpower is ‘soft power’; the so called ‘soft power’ that sways heads of state globally, that elevates the UKs standing around the world. Now we have proof of the propaganda. The Head of State ‘soft power’ superpower attributed to Charles has always been a farce. That was applicable to QEII. She was effective at charming heads of states to elevate the UK globally. Charles is not fit for purpose; the emperor has no clothes. The Head of the Church of England cannot practice what the ‘church’ preaches. 🙈
Instead what we have seen is an establishment stitch up with the King, Charles, allowing representatives of his Royal Household on RAVEC to deny Harry, his own son, a risk assessment analysis from the RMB and security protection to be safe whenever he visits the UK. Now he has pushed the blame for his rift with Harry entirely onto his other son. 🤦🏽♀️
Charles is in so many ways the 21st century reflection of Henry VIII. He doesn’t know how to be a good husband, a good father nor a good leader (King). He is a cruel, weak man.
The fact that the King tried to get the countries that Harry was visiting not to protect him and that they did protect them shows how little respect other countries actually have for the ‘soft power’
hear hear
“Kings are expected to be wiser.”
Unless inbreeding is reducing the king’s intelligence. Things are going to get worse for the Windsors if they stay on this course.
Charles is an elderly grown man who has treated his parents, siblings, children and first wife badly. He is an adult and responsible for his own actions. The way all the left behind Windsors are infantilized is just shocking. The rota meltdown over Prince Harry’s BBC interview was stunning to watch play out in real-time and proved every accusation Harry has ever made against the family. Harry deserves security for life regardless of his role in the royal family. Denying him proper security is evil because the Windsors know what can happen when security is lax. Charles is such a bent egomaniac that he cannot stand losing control of his middle aged son. He is so needy and desperate for rota attention that Harry having a life of his own and knocking Charles off the tabloid covers means that Harry deserves a death sentence carried out using the power of the state few realized Charles had.
This is interesting, given the NYT piece. Did Tom Sykes write this after reading that article?
In any event, this is the bottom line: “Kings are expected to be wiser, and the failure to get Harry back inside the royal tent reflects exceptionally poorly on Charles.”
Too bad, so sad.
“Charles cannot bequeath his heir a settlement with Harry that William cannot live with.” Bequeath what settlement? We’re not talking about nuclear proliferation treaties here, just giving Harry and his family security so they can travel in the UK, if they want. Nobody says William has to love Harry or be seen with him.
Guessing that William is afraid Harry will show up randomly and upstage himself and Kate. Is it possible that Harry could even buy a second home in London, if provided adequate security?
Lots of people will be upstaging William, including his own children. He’ll just have to get used to it. But I don’t think Harry and Meghan would visit the UK all that much to warrant a second home.
And let’s get real, once William is king he can reneg on whatever ‘settlement’ Charles offered Harry. Charles reneged on the house deal that TQ gave H&M, so there’s precedent. And didn’t TQs dresser get kicked out of her grace & favor house? Aren’t those things supposed to be for life?
Agree this narrative has Camilla’s fingerprints all over it : set the brothers against each other, protect Charles and keep his favour, or else because the minute William and Harry have a rapprochement, she and her family are toast.
What I don’t get is the use of the word “settlement,” as if there is money involved in any renewed relationship between Charles and Harry that William “would have to live with.” That wording must be deliberate. Is William worried that Charles would leave Harry, Meghan and the kids money when he dies? I can see William moving heaven and earth to stop that from happening…
Camilla did not “force” Huevo to be a raging person jealous of his own brother. Kate aided and abetted Huevo and was cold to Meghan.
^this. William is a pos, and that has nothing to do with cam.
Does it refer to a security settlement? I cannot see a financial one, lol. I don’t think this narrative only has Camilla’s fingerprints on it though. It’s also coming from Charles. He thinks nothing of throwing any of his sons under the bus. William learned it from both his dad and Camilla. In this case, it’s true bc William doesn’t want to see Harry given a thing. But the narrative is likely coming from both of the principles at BP.
I imagine “settlement” might mean all of the security and honors that Harry and Meghan and their kids would have had if the Queen were still alive or if Charles were a decent father — and that includes housing, as well as other privileges. It might also include money and other bequests — such as jewelry for Meghan and Lili, and possibly for Archie as well.
While I think Camilla and William have poisoned dogshyte dad’s already appalling behavior with the Sussexes, I think William’s unique hold over Charles is that he can threaten to abdicate. Charles seems to have been a dedicated POW, and looked forward to establishing his own reign as something of significance. Now he’s elderly and ill, and the clock is ticking, and the future of the monarchy will be in the hands of those on display on that pallid balcony last week. At some future point, Camilla will be put out to pasture. I hope the Duke of Kent will finally get to retire — if he wants to. The 3 Wales kids will go back to school. That doesn’t leave much, and what’s left has zero rizz. Charles got the slimmed down monarchy that he wanted. If William threatens to bolt, that’s probably a meaningful and powerful threat for Charles — and one that William might toss out whenever he wants to get his way.
William cannot abdicate unless he becomes king. And why would Charles care? William would never remove himself or his children from the line, because it means Harry gets everything. William would never step aside to make that happen.
@Alteya – that’s what I meant: that William would threaten to walk away from the King-ing thing once he has the option. Or to do absolutely nothing once he inherits the role. I’m positing that Charles cares enough about the monarchy that this would deeply trouble him. As far as I know, William could remove himself — or do pretty much nothing if he wished — until George was of age. William stepping back wouldn’t mean removing George — although it might mean George getting a temporary Regent, which could be Harry as things stand now, although Harry could, of course, refuse.
My point is simply that I think Charles cares a lot about the monarchy and his family’s place in it — and that William threatening to smash it all to bits might give him some manipulative hold over Charles. (“Might” — since this is obviously all speculation on my part.)
I think Charles is like qeii in one way – whatever comes after them is someone else’s problem.
Charles would have no problem being the last king.
If that’s the case, Charles should call William’s bluff.
If Harry refused to be regent the job would fall to Andrew, can you imagine that!
I like the consort’s outfit up there. If she was the one to call Tom Sykes, she is always looking out for herself. And if Chuck is more ill than we know, her realm of influence is coming to an end as well. It’s not like she is a beloved of the heir or anyone else that they would look out for her out of filial fondness. She’s got to be mindful of that. If Pegs does act decently toward her, it is because she has something on him. He is not inherently decent. They probably both have something over the other. I hope for Harry’s sake he gets to spend some time with his dad, and protection is provided that he can take his family. Chuck has to know he doesn’t have a splendid legacy. Wouldn’t you think? I simply don’t know. Maybe this is the tide turning. I hope so. If he wants to blame ANYTHING on William, why not.
I do think that the VE Day celebrations only magnified Harry’s absence hence Tom Syke’s climb down.
The only two royals who know what it is like to face enemy fire were not there. Ironic.
Does this go beyond William just being a rage-filled pos? Is it possible William is afraid Harry will visit Britain more frequently with his family, and upstage himself and Kate? Is it even within the realm of possibility that Harry and Meghan could buy a house in Britain if provided with adequate security? The result would be the comparisons between the Wales and the Sussexes that William hated so much six years ago.
Charles evicted Harry and took away his security. Charles has the power to restore what he took away. William, while true he does not want to reconcile, is just an excuse for Charles behavior.
“youthful idiocy in princes is usually forgiven”- for gods sake, the man is 40! A married man of 40, and a father of two! “youthful idiocy” went out the window over a decade ago.
Yes , Charles absolutely sucks . William also sucks but for this time . I will not blame William . Charles is not a baby . If he wanted to talk to his son . He would do so . William can’t do a thing to Charles if Charles choose to be a good person . Charles is already sick . William can’t make him any sicker . So no, this one is all on chuck .
William may be many things, but he is certainly not the reason why the old lion doesn’t like the young lions around him. It’s his territory, and nobody has anything to roar about except him. Or does he?
Lucky are we to observe such taboo yet commonplace dramas played out almost liturgically on the global stage for the betterment of future children if not current royal ones and their parents.
Charles’ fate was stamped long before Holy Chrism touched false lips but never has it been so obvious as since he ascended the throne.
The digital age has shown us the cracks in everything.
Institutions that want to survive will adapt.
You have to love it when they start throwing each other under the bus.
LOL Not just “oft-vaunted”, but “alleged”!
Tom Sykes was full of grudging compliments for Prince Harry, no?🙄
This article is definitely in response to that BBC interview, and I wonder (paywalls prevent me from seeing when these articles were published) if it might also be in response to the NY Times one as well? He didn’t mention Prince Harry’s popularity in the United States for no reason.
Weak sauce: King Charles, Harry’s FATHER, cannot speak to him because it’s public knowledge he has cancer and William wants nothing to do with him? BS. William an always toss Harry out after Charles is gone. Bogus argument.