King Charles and Prince Harry in 2022.Photo: DAVID ROSE/POOL/AFP via Getty
King Charles' fractured relationship with his sonPrince Harryis certainly on his mind one year afterQueen Elizabeth’s death.
As the late monarch often brought her family together, Prince Harry’s rift with the royals seems wider than ever. Fissures within the family came to the fore when King Charles’ younger son and his wife,Meghan Markle, left the U.K. for the U.S. in 2020, and relations have remained strained since.
“I’m sure [the King] misses him. Harry is entertaining, warm and very loving as well. And they had a great relationship,” a source close to the royal household tells PEOPLE in this week’s exclusive cover story.
King Charles “leans toward the compassionate rather than the disciplinarian style of family leadership,” adds royal biographer andQueen of Our Timesauthor Robert Hardman, implying hope for the future.
King Charles and Prince Harry in 2019.Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage
If he’s looking for a way forward, the King, 74, could examine the way his mother negotiated public scandals, political upheavals andfamily dramaduring her history-making 70-year reign.
“[The Queen] managed to navigate these choppy waters, and that’s why she was always admired and loved — because she got the family through,” says the source close to the royal household. “[Charles] will have to show that he can do that.”
Queen Elizabeth was “especially important [to Harry],” a friend tells PEOPLE, and the anniversary of her death will surely be top of mind on Friday. The Queen died atBalmoral Castleat age 96 on Sept. 8, 2022, and King Charles’ accession sparked a year of change for the royal family.
In matters both personal and professional, “there is an enormous loss,” says a source close to the royal household, “as [the Queen] played a very important part in all of their lives. But I’m impressed at how smoothly things are moving forward given all the little hiccups that there are in the background.”
One Year Later: Life Without the Queen.
The biggest “hiccup” of all, of course, has been the ongoing estrangement of Harry and Meghan from the rest of the royal family. Queen Elizabeth — despite being someone with whom Harry had “his own rapport,” as Hardman puts it — was tough with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex when she felt she had to be, ruling they couldn’t be half in, half out of the royal family as they’d hoped.
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On the surface, King Charles has followed the same signposts that have dotted the royal road for decades. Along with continuing theannual Balmoral tradition, the King has hostedChristmas at Sandringhamjust as his mother did and carried on with royal events likeTrooping the Colourand the ancientOrder of the Garterceremony. He andQueen Camillahead to France on Sept. 20 for astate visit— and although it might go undetected beneath the pomp and pageantry, insiders say there is a different mood on royal outings.
Queen Elizabeth, reflecting her generation, greeted the public at a distance and through a gloved hand, while King Charles takes a less formal approach.
“His ability to engage with everybody is a real plus. It has proven he is the right man for the right moment,” royals author Ingrid Seward exclusively tells PEOPLE. A palace source adds, “He’s always very warm with people and is curious about their lives.”
source: people.com
