King Charles and Prince Harry’s relationship is said to have reached a new low following the latest dispute surrounding the Duke of Sussex.
Former royal butler Grant Harrold has claimed that the chances of the father and son returning to the negotiating table now appear increasingly slim.
“To me, it feels as though the ship has sailed,” Harrold said.
He added: “I just don’t quite see how the King can come back from what’s happened, and equally, I can’t see how Harry can either. The gulf between them now seems deeper than ever.”
The comments come amid reports that the King had recently been open to extending an olive branch to his younger son but was left disappointed by subsequent developments.
Despite the ongoing tensions, a source close to the royal family claimed that Charles would still welcome the chance to spend time with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The insider said the King “would not pass up the opportunity to spend time with his grandchildren, and if there is a way of making it possible, he will do it.”
The renewed strain follows Prince Harry’s strong criticism of a recent court ruling in his legal battle against a British newspaper publisher.
Responding to the decision, the Duke described it as “a complete and obvious whitewash” and said the outcome was “sadly not altogether unexpected.”
He also accused the court of going to extraordinary lengths to clear the publisher, calling the decision “shocking” and “totally unwarranted.”
Neither Buckingham Palace nor Prince Harry’s representatives have publicly commented on claims that the relationship between the King and his son has reached a point of no return.
