King Charles and Prince Harry were reportedly not on speaking terms when Prince Archie was born in 2019, according to royal photographer Arthur Edwards. The revelation comes from Edwards' new book, 'Cup of Tea, Arthur?', and suggests the tension between father and son predated Harry's departure from royal duties.
Photographer's account of the birth
Edwards, who has photographed the royals for decades, said he became aware of the rift while on a trip to Germany with the King, who was then Prince Charles. At the time of Archie's birth, Charles publicly said he "couldn't be more delighted" about the news.
Edwards decided to ask The Sun picture desk for a photo of Archie taken at Windsor two days after he was born, intending to show the King. He recalled: "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."
Press secretary's warning
Edwards said Camilla asked, "Can you show it to the prince?" However, he was then told by Julian Payne, the prince's press secretary, "No, don't do that, Arthur." When Edwards asked why, Payne responded: "He's not talking to his son."
The photographer said this was the first time he became aware of any tension between the King and Harry. As this was eight months before Harry quit royal life, Edwards said it later surprised him that relationships had been tense all that time.
Relationship timeline
It is not known why Harry and the King were not talking at the time of Archie's birth, or how long it took to resolve the matter. Neither the King nor Harry has spoken about the matter.
However, it is believed that this marked the start of several periods during which communication between father and son was nonexistent. Harry even claimed in 2025 that the King would not speak to him. This is not believed to be the case now, as Harry took his family to see his father at Highgrove in July, a month before the Sussex family relocated back to Britain.
It is believed they have not seen the King since moving back, most likely due to the monarch's busy schedule.
