Part of People Magazine’s cover story about QEII’s death-anniversary is about King Charles and how he’s dealing with one of the biggest issues facing his reign: his lack of control over his charismatic son and daughter-in-law, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The only similarity between Charles and his mother is their habitual ostrich-syndrome. Charles’s is worse though, because he dithers and he can’t even decide how to approach the Sussex issue. Instead of choosing the path of a loving father, he seems to be trying to convince everyone (and himself) that the Sussexes are merely a minor inconvenience, one which he can ignore forever. Even People Magazine’s “sources” can’t decide on a path of action for discussing Charles’s dogsh-t behavior towards his son.
King Charles’ fractured relationship with his son Prince Harry is certainly on his mind one year after Queen 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 and Queen of Our Times author Robert Hardman, implying hope for the future.
If he’s looking for a way forward, the King, 74, could examine the way his mother negotiated public scandals, political upheavals and family drama during 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.
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.”
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. When it comes to the royal way of doing things, “There’s no [hemming] and hawing,” Hardman tells PEOPLE. “It’s like, ‘Here are your options, and can we have an answer by Friday?’ ”
QEII “managed to navigate these choppy waters, and that’s why she was always admired and loved — because she got the family through… [Charles] will have to show that he can do that.” Because Charles hasn’t shown that he can navigate his way out of a wet paper bag. Charles can’t negotiate intra-family disputes and that alone speaks volumes about his sh-tty leadership skills in a larger sense. Any “top CEO,” any skilled manager worth a damn, would have found a way to cauterize this PR bleed after three and a half years. It’s not even about fully reconciling with Harry and Meghan (although Charles should at least try to do that) – it’s about taking a public position (as QEII did) that the Sussexes are much-loved family members, that they are always welcome in the UK, that Charles would love to see his grandchildren. Instead, he evicted them from their UK home out of spite and he openly briefs against them still. You can’t be a skilled manager AND an open sadist.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
- Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex during a discussion about violent youth crime at a forum held at Clarence House in London. The prince and the duke will also speak with Prince?Äôs Trust Ambassadors, families of victims of youth violent crime, and community groups and practitioners.,Image: 534904145, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: NO UK USE FOR SEVEN DAYS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – [email protected] London: 44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: 1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: 49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: 34 91 533 4289, Model Release: no, Credit line: – / Avalon
- LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 14: Prince William, Prince of Wales, Sir Timothy Laurence, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, King Charles III, Mr Peter Phillips, Anne, Princess Royal walk behind the coffin during the procession for the Lying-in State of Queen Elizabeth II on September 14, 2022 in London, England. Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin is taken in procession on a Gun Carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where she will lay in state until the early morning of her funeral. Queen Elizabeth II died at Balmoral Castle in Scotland on September 8, 2022, and is succeeded by her eldest son, King Charles III.,Image: 722674714, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Jeff J Mitchell / Avalon
- King Charles III, the Queen Consort in front of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex during the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held at Westminster Abbey, London.,Image: 724154193, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Gareth Fuller / Avalon
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Prince Harry, King Charles III, Camilla Queen Consort, and Princess Anne
The State Funeral of Her Majesty The Queen, Gun Carriage Procession, Wellington Roundabout, London, UK – 19 Sep 2022,Image: 724224245, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock / Avalon
- (left to right) The Duke of Sussex, King Charles III and the Princess Royal follow the State Hearse carrying the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign’s Orb and Sceptre, as it arrives at the Committal Service held at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle, Berkshire.,Image: 724270306, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: -, Model Release: no, Credit line: Kirsty O’Connor / Avalon
- (Strictly for editorial use only and available until December 12th 2018) In this handout image provided by Clarence House, HRH Prince Charles Prince of Wales poses for an official portrait to mark his 70th Birthday in the gardens of Clarence House, with Their Royal Highnesses Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Willliam Duke of Cambridge, Catherine Duchess of Cambridge, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, Prince Louis, Prince Harry Duke of Sussex and Meghan Duchess of Sussex, on September 5, 2018 in London, England.
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Ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall where Her Majesty will lie in state
Featuring: Prince Harry, King Charles III
Where: London, United Kingdom
When: 14 Sep 2022
Credit: Cover Images
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State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II held at Westminster Abbey in London.
Featuring: King Charles III, Camilla, Queen Consort, Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Andrew, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Where: London, England, United Kingdom
When: 19 Sep 2022
Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images**North America Rights Only**
- Prince Charles and Prince Harry at the World Premiere of Netflix’s Our Planet at the Natural History Museum, Kensington, London on April 4th 2019