To think that not speaking to your own son is not a good look for the King ?

[Marmaladelover]

Don’t get me wrong I think Harry has been a bit of an entitled burk but even so I was shocked that there has not been a reconciliation between Harry and Megan and the King and Queen at least to be civil to each other .
Refusing to even speak just seems like sulking to me !
That said I don’t think Harry telling the world and washing yet more dirty laundry in public is going to help matters .

Maybe some folk will think this comment belongs in the Royal Family thread rather than AIBU but it’s more about mumsnet standards ( sulking is not good ) and whether they should apply to those in high office .

Even JFK and Krushev had a hotline after the Cuban Crisis !

Diana herself said she had refused security which the RF wanted her to have as the mother of a future king. She told friends ( Rosa Monkton comes to mind) that she thought security would spy on her .
Sadly , the RF could not stop her getting into a car with a drunk driver and no seat belt .
One of the ( many ) things I found strange about the “ near catastrophic car chase “ in NY was the lack of seatbelts . I would have thought Harry would insist on seatbelts given what happened to his mother .

I think it’s fine, OP @Marmaladelover
The king is modelling to us how we don’t have to tolerate being treat like absolute shit by anyone including our own offspring. What’s wrong with that?

What’s wrong with it ?
He's head of the COE for a start .
Events have proven that Spare was accurate re the machinations of the Windsors esp re their manipulation of their public image .
I agree he’s setting an example - the example being destroy anyone who in any way threatens to reveal the truth behind your lies

And as a so called first family and example to us all ( the national anthem anyone ??) they are showing us exactly who they are . Friend to pedophiles, disdainful towards their subjects and cruel.

As a parent I’d keep holding out my hand to my adult children regardless of what they did .
I’d say most decent parents would .

@Ukisgaslit

what if they tried to murder you for example? Would you still be holding your hand out to them then?

I think he’s in an impossible position His vow at the coronation involves putting the state above all else. If he has applied pressure to a government body to give his son something they felt he wasn’t entitled to, he is breaking that rule.
Not to mention every conversation and argument with Harry ends up in the public domain which damages the monarchy of which he is the head so by default damaging it
it's such a pity that Harry can’t. be trusted to keep some conversations private .

God almighty - Charles and the Windsors protect Andrew and parade around with him !

Andrew is in the fold .
Is anyone here seriously going to try to argue that Harry has done anything even begins to approach Andrew’s crimes ??

If you are , you need help . Deprogrammed .

Charles and Willaim have punished and plotted against Harry because Harry spoke a few truths . And he left - crime of the century .
Charles and William protect and are happy to be photographed with Andrew
That is what you are trying to defend
Save your energy- people aren’t stupid thankfully

We can see what the Windsors are

The royal family have always been a bunch of weirdos. Comes with the territory.

Agreed

@lizzyBennet08

Your post is so revealing

So Harry describes the royals and their secret briefings to the press etc and THIS is what you consider damaging ?
Any thoughts on how Andrew , Mountbatten etc have damaged royalty ?
Oh wait - Andrew keeps his mouth shut so he’s ok with royalists .
Your so called royalty need their secrets kept . What the hell are they hiding ?

Honestly whether you agree with the royals or now. King Charles as head of the monarchy literal job is to protect it and its reputation ( just as any CEO of any organisation ) . If he knows that his son will slag off the institution in the media after every conversation with him. I get why he’s put in a difficult position. That’s all! Try and reconcile with his son but at the real risk of it not working and spare 2 happening and damaging the monarchy further.
He has waited 70 years to be King and I’m sure he doesn’t want it collapsing on his watch .

Andrew is irrelevant to the conversation about Charles and Harry.

I haven't read the thread so sorry if it has already been said. Aren't Charles and William doing to Harry what Harry and Meghan have done to her father? Cutting him out for talking to the press/media. It is ironic Harry doesn't see that. He clearly doesn't like it one bit; that he can't be trusted, yet he's done it to Meghan's father.

The royals are such a bizarre, dysfunctional family wrapped in antiquated rules and tightly controlled by a cabal of 'advisors' with an old fashioned agenda. I feel sorry for Harry being ostracised by his flesh and blood, but they are not worth fretting over. With a bit of luck we'll be a republic by the end of the century. Quite frankly, I'd rather have more money in the NHS and the RNLI, who has to pay millions to the royals to launch their rescue boats stationed on their land.

@lizzyBennet08

If ignoring your son’s public request for reconciliation and welcoming Andrew in the fold is your idea of supporting the monarchy - you have nothing worth saving
All you have is a self interested cartel - the firm as you- and the royals themselves- put it
If Charles cared about the monarchy he would have publicly apologised for the Duchy scandal .
Charles doesn’t GAF . None of them do .

I've just checked and it seems Charles is still receiving treatment for cancer. Perhaps part of the reason he isn't speaking to Harry is he doesn't want the upset or arguments that might ensue if he saw him. Harry would naturally ask about the treatment and Charles might be concerned if I tell him will he then tell the press? Charles might feel it is easier to not put himself in that position. Even if Charles felt he could trust Harry or had the awkward situation of saying looking if you pass any of this on that will be the final straw, it would be natural for Harry to tell Meghan and Charles might be concerned if they split up, or even if they don't, these private conversations might appear in a book at some point. Privacy is very important.

Look at Philip, bearded, at a similar age to Harry, they could be twins!

The Royal Family know they cannot speak to Harry because he will inevitably share their private conversations with the media. If Harry actually wanted to reconcile with his family he needs to stop trashing them at every opportunity. It's ironic too he saw nothing wrong in commenting on the King's health given his supposed obsession with his own privacy.

I think the King is setting a fine example, a dignified silence is the only response that is appropriate.

lol- there is no silence . He briefs the media constantly and in the shadows
If you have something to say Charles say it calmly and publicly like your son . Make a written statement even
Only the gullible think Charles or William are ‘silent ‘ - we’ve had all that confirmed . They sneak around leaking ‘their side’ to the media . Dignified they are not

@lizzyBennet08
You say Charles job is to protect the monarchy - why? If it needs protected by keeping its sordid secrets what is the use of such a rotten institution?

I can think little more damaging than the photo of Epstein and Maxwell on the thrones in Buckingham Palace - that’s what the Windsors are ‘ protecting’

And never mind the monarchy - the Windsors threaten the safety of the country ! Where is your bitterness about that when you take a break from repeating Windsor media sound bites

Remember Andrew’s ‘communication ‘ channel with an alleged spy ? Andrew’s sudden financial deal with someone in the Middle East ?

I’m Irish so have no real feelings (definitely not venom )about the monarchy either way.

I’m just amazed that people are shocked /cross that the people at the top of this ( or indeed any large institution) will try to protect it as best they can. Surely that’s to be expected?

Whether it’s worth protecting is a totally different discussion.

Perhaps he was Harry's Dad? 🤔

@lizzyBennet08

Lol . Sorry I had no idea you had no skin in the game . A fair % of pro royalists ( I’m not saying you are ) seem not to be from the uk !

I believe if we had an indicative vote here in the uk the Windsors would be on their way out . I don’t believe the pr / propaganda for a second .
I know Boomers are more likely to support them but the demographics below boomer level - definitely not .

Even JFK and Krushev had a hotline after the Cuban Crisis !

Yep but it wasn't tied into Netflix and Oprah.

The King has all the power and he is a strong man. See how he got Camilla what she wanted.

I think he is afraid of Camilla and they are all afraid they will be put in the shade again by Harry. Not so much Meghan this time. I still wish for a reconciliation : that’s what civilised people do.

I think most people would wish for a reconciliation but I just cannot see it happening until Harry learns the mantra - never complain, never explain.

Until they can start to rebuild trust the Sussexs will be kept at arms lenght.

If Harry actually does want a reconciliation, maybe it's time for him to publicly apologise for Oprah, Spare & Netflix. I think he's too dim to realise that it wasn't a good idea to do a public kiss & tell and that understandably it has upset his family and made them wary of speaking to him.