King Charles is “at the end of his tether” with Prince Harry, feeling his son is “difficult” and “badly behaved”, a commentator has claimed. Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine told the publication's podcast, Palace Confidential, that Harry's being “so rude” to Queen Camilla added to the monarch's apparent frustration.
Columnist's claims
Speaking to podcast host Richard Kay, Vine said: “I think the King is actually at the end of his tether with Harry, generally speaking, properly at the end of his tether.” She added that in her view Charles will feel that the Duke of Sussex has been “so difficult”, “so badly behaved” and “so rude” to Camilla.
Vine said: “There's a sense there that he is on eggshells with his father.” Asked if there was one particular episode which had driven the monarch to that point, she said it was cumulative. She said while Charles has tried to build bridges with his son, each time there is a leak to the media and drama. The writer suggested the King is not prepared to put up with any more shenanigans.
Poll findings
Vine told Kay that the results of a poll carried out by the podcast were in tune with the King. The poll asked viewers whether Charles should go to the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham if Harry invites him. Sixty-seven percent of those who responded said no and that the prince does not deserve the King's support. Twenty-five percent said Charles should wait and see, while 8% said he should go to “build bridges”, according to the poll.
Background and outlook
Prince Harry made a series of bombshell allegations in his memoir, Spare, his and Meghan Markle's Netflix series and an interview with Oprah Winfrey. These included claims of being pushed by Prince William, of Queen Camilla supplying intimate family details to the press and of begging his father not to marry her. Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace maintained a dignified silence in response to the allegations.
Harry himself appears to be seeking a rapprochement with his family, with the Sussexes's recent reunion with Charles and Camilla at Highgrove viewed as an effort to repair relations. Asked if Charles will join Harry at the Invictus Games next year, Vine told Palace Confidential she believed he probably will. She added: “He will see that, I personally think, as his role as king... I think he would think it would cause too much psychodrama if he didn't go.”
