10 February 2024 , 08:17
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King Charles is said to have called Prince Harry personally to tell his son about his cancer diagnosis, with one expert suggesting it shows a sign of "mending their relationship".
The Duke of Sussex has a fraught relationship with his father, something which worsened when Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down from the Royal Family. Harry has hit out at his dad on multiple occasions, accusing the king or lying and making jokes at his son's expense.
However, a source told The Mirror that the king reached out to his son after his diagnosis. "The duke did speak with his father about his diagnosis," they said. Relationship expert Louella Alderson believes this shows they're making a positive step to stop their feud.
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Prince Harry and King Charles seem to be fixing their relationship (Getty Images)She told us: "It's possible that King Charles's personal call to Harry about his diagnosis is a sign of mending or learning from past mistakes in their relationship. It shows a level of respect and consideration from King Charles towards Harry, acknowledging the importance of family and communication during difficult times.
"Challenging periods, like illnesses or health scares, can often bring families closer together and put past issues into perspective. They also remind us of our mortality and the importance of cherishing our loved ones while we still can.
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"Seeing a family member go through a difficult health situation can put things into perspective and make people realise the value of family and forgiveness. In this case, King Charles's call to Harry may be a sign of him seeing the bigger picture and wanting to mend their relationship for the sake of the family."
Harry found out about his father's cancer diagnosis in a very different way to his late grandmother's death. The Duke of Sussex rushed to be by the late Queen's side when he learned of her worsening health in the hours before her death.
The Duke of Sussex rushed to be by his father's side (AFP via Getty Images)When his plane finally landed in Balmoral, he checked the BBC website, which featured reports on the death of Queen Elizabeth II. Writing in his debut memoir Spare, Harry said: "When the plane started to descend I saw that my phone lit up. It was a message from Meg, 'Call me when you get this'. I looked at the BBC website. My grandmother had died. My father was king."
Louella suggested the royals will have learned from this mistake. She explained: "It's also possible that Harry and the rest of the Royal Family have learned from their past mistakes in terms of communication. For Harry to find out about his grandmother's health via the media likely caused further tension within the family. This time around, it seems like they are making an effort to communicate directly with each other, which can only be a positive step towards healing their relationship.
"It could be that this unfortunate situation will provide an opportunity for both Harry and Charles to reflect on their relationship and make amends if they feel it's something they are ready to do. Overall, King Charles calling Harry personally feels like the right and respectful thing to do in this situation, and it's a good sign for their relationship going forward."
Following the phone call, Harry rushed to the UK to be by his father's side. The Duke of Sussex sat down for a half an hour chat with the King, which is believed this was their first proper private conversation for 15 months. He then returned to Los Angeles after 25 hours in the UK.