Something interesting has been happening for months: more and more, people are calling out King Charles for being a terrible father, and they’re saying outright that his treatment of Prince Harry will define his reign. Even the NY Times devoted some coverage to it, and the “Sandringham Summit” documentary (which was released a few days ago) basically pointed to the terrible deal orchestrated by Charles and Prince William as the root of all of these Sussex problems. No one’s buying Charles’s frequent attempts to paint himself as the injured party, or the palace’s attempts to treat Harry like the leak-prone side. Well, People Magazine has the father and son’s royal rift on their cover this week. Just know that if Harry had not gone to Shanghai, the story would have been “Charles snubbed Harry in North America.” Some highlights:

Charles’s Canadian trip: “He could give a master class in diplomatic relations,” Ailsa Anderson, former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth, tells PEOPLE in this week’s cover story. But another challenge looms — one no speech can fix: his fractured relationship with his son, who told the BBC in May: “I don’t know how much longer my father has… He won’t speak to me.”

Harry was meant to be a lieutenant: The man Charles called his “darling boy” was meant to be “one of his reliable lieutenants he could call on to support the monarchy,” says royal historian Dr. Ed Owens, author of After Elizabeth: Can the Monarchy Save Itself?

The Dithering King: While William remains firmly estranged from Harry and Meghan, some royal observers believe it’s King Charles — head of the Church of England and a longtime advocate for unity — who should take the first step. But inside palace walls, hesitation reigns. At times, there has been a desire to reconnect — but “the underlying issue is trust,” says royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith. “The King and William don’t trust Harry and Meghan with any kind of confidential conversation.”

Charles surrounds himself with people who urge him to be a terrible father: Charles, insiders say, isn’t surrounded by voices encouraging reconciliation. William has shown no interest in extending an olive branch, and Queen Camilla, 77 — sharply criticized in Spare — “stays out of it,” says a source. Even senior aides like Clive Alderton, also mentioned in Harry’s memoir, are unlikely to push for a personal outreach. “There is not a good angel in his ear to say, ‘Be a good dad and make the first move,’” says Valentine Low, author of the upcoming book Power and the Palace.

Harry’s BBC interview: “It wasn’t meant to be an attack, but it would be seen as one,” Low says. “It makes Charles reaching out even harder.”

Charles’s health: “If you have that level of breach in a family, and you are estranged, you run that risk every day of having something unfathomable to deal with,” says Catherine Mayer, author of Charles: The Heart of a King. “There is so much baggage there that the idea that one meeting would resolve everything is ridiculous. But having some contact would seem better than none.”

Charles’s legacy: Low warns that the split could “potentially damage [Charles’] legacy.” Still, he believes most people can separate the private drama from his public role: “This is a family rift rather than a constitutional rift — it’s what happens to families. Both sides have to reach a point where they realize they can’t carry on as they are.”

It’s the hope that kills you: “I would like to think the King will take that step toward reconciliation with Harry in due course,” Owens says.

[From People]

While it’s obvious to all of us who have followed this saga for years, I find it interesting that People Mag’s commentators point out that Charles isn’t surrounded by people advising him to speak to his son. Does Charles hear or acknowledge the growing narrative that he’s a terrible father and his treatment of the Sussexes will define his legacy as king? Does Charles simply not understand that people realize that HE is the problem, that HE threw away his relationships with his son, his biracial daughter-in-law and two grandchildren out of short-sighted jealousy? And that he still refuses to even see his grandkids or speak to his younger son? As always, Diana had his number – he never had the temperament for the top job. And Camilla neighing in his ear about the Sussexes hasn’t helped either.

Cover courtesy of People, additional pics courtesy of Cover Images.