Prince Harry is said to have been back touch with his father King Charles since the release of his tell-all book 'Spare'. Picture: Reuters
Prince Harry is said to have been back in touch with his father King Charles since the release of his tell-all book “Spare”.
The Duke of Sussex dropped the bombshell autobiography in January – just four months after his dad ascended to throne on the death of Queen Elizabeth – and reports suggested the royal rift had widened because of the prince’s controversial book which included criticism of his stepmother Camilla, Queen Consort.
However, “Finding Freedom” author Omid Scobie has now claimed Prince Harry has been back in regular contact with King Charles before the coronation on May 6.
Speaking during an appearance on “This Morning” on Wednesday, Scobie said: “Obviously this (the coronation) is the first time he (Prince Harry) sees his family face-to-face since the release of ‘Spare’.
“But I don’t think people know there has been a somewhat regular pattern of conversation between him and his father since the release of that book.
“Now have they discussed the details and the points that he wanted to go into? From what I hear, no. But he has had contact with his dad.”
Scobie said some of the conversations have been about Frogmore Cottage – the Windsor home granted to Prince Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex by the late Queen – as they have been asked to vacate the property since moving to California.
The journalist said: “They lose the keys to that any week now and he would have spoken to his father about that.”
However, Scobie suggested relations between Prince Harry and his brother William, Prince of Wales remain frosty, saying: “There has been minimal contact (with the Prince of Wales) since the Queen’s funeral.”
Prince Harry will be attending the coronation solo as Meghan is to stay behind in the US with the couple’s two children, Princess Lilibet and Prince Archie, who will mark his fourth birthday on the day his grandfather is crowned.
Scobie said of the decision for Meghan to stay behind: “She is aware just how much of the spotlight goes on her when she sets even a foot near the story.
“It’s portrayed as intentional. Should she come over and just stand next to her husband, the commentary and the narrative of the day would have been very different ... If you look back at some of Harry and Meghan’s biggest problems it was all down to the fact that the attention was always on them at times when it shouldn’t of been.”
He said of Harry’s decision to attend: “From what I understand the Sussexes had to wait for some time to really get the confirmation whether they were 100% welcome at this event. Of course this all follows the release of ‘Spare’.
“But for Harry there was certainly no question about (attending). Ultimately he is fifth in line to the throne. He is a Councillor of State.
“There is a serious constitutional reason for him to be here and he takes that seriously, even though he’s not a working member of the royal family ... As we have heard from him time and time again in his interviews, despite the pain that he has experienced from his own family, he still cares for them.
“So much can happen over time and I don’t think he would want to look back and regret not being there for that moment.”
Scobie said: “Unfortunately there is nothing carved out in the ceremony for him and I would imagine if Harry and Meghan were working royals still, and everything had worked out differently, there may have been some way for them to have been orchestrated into it, or at least to be visible on that big balcony.
“But obviously that’s not the case and people are wondering where Harry will be. Will he be with the civvies or will he be with his family members, and if he is what row will he be in?
“I think people will be watching to see that almost as a reflection of where he stands with his family today, but he gets no say in it.”