Who could object to a warm phone conversation between the birthday boy, King Charles, and the prodigal son, Harry?
It’s good news indeed, reports the Daily Telegraph, if Tuesday’s private conversation marks a “turning point” in the relationship between father and son.
But the key word here is “private,” says Richard Eden in the latest edition of his secret palace newsletter.
How did the BBC know in advance that Prince Harry would call his father? How did the Daily Telegraph then discover the contents of a conversation that only a few others could have seen?
King Charles turned 75 on Tuesday, but Prince Harry was not present at the private family celebration
Charles reportedly spoke to his youngest son on the phone, and one media outlet has surprising details about what was said
The King spent a large part of his birthday promoting his campaign against food waste
The BBC appears to have known in advance that the King would speak to Harry on the phone, while the Daily Telegraph then appears to have been aware of what was discussed.
We don’t know the answer to those questions. But, Eden continues, this apparent briefing “may have heightened the royal family’s suspicions about the loose-lipped California couple.”
“The fact that details of a private conversation were published so quickly may serve as a warning before any potential future invitations,” he concludes.
Eden, editor of the Daily Mail’s Eden Confidential, suggests that Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, should have a model for disclosing intimate details of private conversations with other members of the royal family, citing their interview with Oprah Winfrey, their Netflix series and Prince Harry’s gaudy memoirs, Spear.
“One of the main factors preventing privacy activists from resuming cordial relations with the Windsors is their refusal to respect others’ expectations of privacy,” he wrote.
While Buckingham Palace officials strongly refused to reveal any details related to the celebrations for King Charles’ birthday, “sources” familiar with Harry’s intentions told the BBC that he would phone his father on his birthday.
Then the Daily Telegraph, one of the few British newspapers that Harry spoke positively about, was able to obtain details of the phone conversation between His Majesty and his youngest son.
The Royal Family attends the 2019 Commonwealth Day Service, the last official engagement attended by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, right, before they leave their frontline duties
A tearful Prince Harry and Meghan attend the state funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth
Richard Eden suggests leaked details of Harry’s conversation with his father could serve as a warning if future invitations are considered
Within hours of the conversation, The Telegraph reported that the pair “enjoyed a warm conversation” after Harry called his father to wish him a happy birthday.
She confirmed that the king and his son “will talk again next week” after a phone call on the occasion of the king’s 75th birthday marked a “turning point” in their relationship.
The Telegraph suggested King also spoke to Meghan, while Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet recorded a video of themselves singing Happy Birthday to their grandfather.
“While it is good that the King’s relationship with his son is improving, it is clear that Harry and Meghan are not welcome at family events,” Eden concludes.
“Although family members including the Duke of Gloucester, the King’s first cousin, and Princess Margaret’s daughter, Lady Sarah Chatto, attended the birthday party, no invitation reached Montecito.”
It is an uncomfortable situation, but it is unlikely to be alleviated, he suggests, by colorful leaks about private conversations with the king.
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