King Charles's feelings about Prince Harry revealed on Duke's 40th birthday
A source close to King Charles has said it "frustrates him" when personal issues intrude on public duty.
On the day of Prince Harry's milestone 40th birthday, King Charles may be hoping royal drama will not detract from his important mission of public service, according to a source.
The Times reports a source close to the King has observed his opinions on current family dynamics. They revealed: "It frustrates him that personal issues intrude on the public duty. He’d much rather the focus was on his work, not the soap opera of the private life."
The source added: "It is always frustrating when family dynamics overshadow the public role."
Tensions became apparent after Harry stepped down as a senior working royal in 2020 and relocated to Montecito in California where he now lives with his wife Meghan Markle and two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
Despite strained relations, today, as a major olive branch, King Charles chose to wish his youngest son 'happy birthday' via a touching public message on social media on Harry's official birthday, September 15.
Taking to platform X, he wrote: "Wishing The Duke of Sussex a very happy 40th birthday today!"
A heartwarming picture of Harry accompanied the message, with the smiling Duke wearing a light grey suit jacket, white shirt, along with his signature bracelets.
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The King's commitment to public service will be demonstrated, once again, by Charles and Camilla’s upcoming nine-day tour of Australia and then Samoa in October, which will include nearly 40 engagements. But it has been slightly scaled back to accommodate the King's health.
A source who knows Charles told the Times: "He’s very conscious of being seen to be active, particularly with the other problems in the Royal Family. He needs to feel he’s being some kind of anchor."
An Australian visit has been on the cards since King Charles’ Coronation in May 2023, with the October visit marking His Majesty’s first visit to Australia as the reigning monarch.
The two will attend some events together, and others separately and the King will stick to duties reflecting his interests, including sustainability and the environment.
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Despite Charles' continuation with public service without his youngest son, Harry's relationship with his father remains strained.
Harry last saw his father in February 2024 after the public announcement of his cancer diagnosis when Harry immediately flew to the UK for a brief meeting with Charles at Clarence House - which only lasted 45 minutes.
He did not see his father last month, either, while he was briefly in the UK for the memorial service for his uncle, Lord Fellowes, also attended by William, where the brothers did not interact with each other.
Tensions aside, on Sunday morning the Royal Family and the Prince and Princess of Wales's official social media accounts wished Harry a "very happy 40th birthday" in a post alongside a picture of the Duke of Sussex.
