KING Charles is beaming alongside the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace’s Garden party after “snubbing” a meeting with his son Prince Harry.
The monarch is hosting the palace’s first garden party of the year this afternoon.
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The party will wrap up at around 6pm – just as Harry finishes a service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Harry jetted all the way from California for the service to mark the 10th anniversary of his Invictus Games.
A spokesperson for Harry said the prince will not meet Charles on his whistle-stop UK tour – because the King is too busy.
Charles, 75, resumed public duties last week for the first time since beginning cancer treatment.
Harry’s spokesperson said: “It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.
“The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
In a second snub, Charles revealed Prince William will take charge of Harry’s former helicopter regiment next week.
Next week Charles will confirm William as Colonel-in-Chief of the Army Air Corps.
The event will take place in front of an Apache — the type of helicopter Harry flew when serving in Afghanistan.
William, who flew with the Air Ambulance, will also take to the skies in the chopper.
Prince Harry’s statement in full
A spokesperson for Prince Harry said:
“In response to the many inquiries and continued speculation on whether or not The Duke will meet with his father while in the UK this week:
“It unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full programme.
“The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Harry passed his Army Air Corps grading and Pilot’s Selection Board interview in December 2008 to begin pilot training in January 2009.
On his first tour of Afghanistan in 2008 he called in air strikes on Taliban positions.
He later qualified as an Apache commander in 2012 after three years of training.
Then he spent a five-month tour in Afghanistan where he piloted an Apache.
A source told The Sun: “Timing is everything.”
Insiders claim Harry made multiple attempts to arrange a meeting with his dad before flying 5,000 miles for three days in the UK.
Read more on the Irish Sun
Harry flew to the UK alone without Meghan or their children Archie and Lilibet.
But Meghan will join Harry on his visit to Nigeria later this week, it’s understood.
Harry & the King can’t play happy families with such huge public attention, says The Sun’s Matt Wilkinson
By Matt Wilkinson, Royal Editor
Prince Harry is in London but he won’t meet his father The King.
The Duke of Sussex arrived from LA alone without Meghan or their children for a busy diary of events marking 10 years of his Invictus Games.
Before setting off from California it is understood Harry was said to have been “keen’ to see the King for only the second time since his cancer diagnosis.
It is rather telling that confirmation there will be no meeting has come from the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex rather than Buckingham Palace.
His team say “it unfortunately will not be possible due to His Majesty’s full program”.
They add: “The Duke of course is understanding of his father’s diary of commitments and various other priorities and hopes to see him soon.”
Now, the word that jumps out is “priorities”.
The King, we understand, is busy as he returns to public duty.
For instance, on Tuesday while Harry was in London the King was carrying out his constitutional duty and meeting the Prime Minister of Fiji at the palace.
He is also set to host a palace garden party and weekly audience with the Prime Minister on Wednesday.
And Harry’s diary is packed full for three days with Invictus. However, they will be at times just two miles apart and risk even driving past each other on London’s roads.
Some observers may see this as “sad” that father and son cannot find time.
Others may say that it’s understandable as both have work commitments and “priorities”.
But maybe there has just been too much water under the bridge for father and son to play happy families amid such huge public attention.
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