Prince Harry reportedly learned of his father, King Charles III, recent hospital stay from the media instead of the palace. The monarch’s youngest son was allegedly left in the dark until the news became public.
Charles was admitted for a brief period due to temporary side effects from his ongoing cancer treatment. Buckingham Palace assured the public there was “no drama” and that the visit was part of his “treatment programme.”
The “lonelier than ever” Prince Harry is said to be struggling with increasing isolation, as he rarely leaves his Montecito mansion. “First he was a spare to William, now he’s increasingly looking like a spare to Meghan — and it’s not a great look,” an insider told The Sun.
“He misses his family terribly, but no one is speaking to him any more. He just wants to go for a beer with the guys, but his only friends are just the husbands of Meghan’s friends.”
Several reports claimed that the palace chose not to inform Harry about Charles’ hospital visit immediately, possibly to avoid alarming him while he was 5,000 miles away.
On Friday, the monarch appeared in good spirits. While leaving Clarence House in London, he was seen smiling and waving as he boarded an Audi to drive to his Highgrove estate in Gloucestershire.
Does California fit Harry’s true identity?
The Duke’s last in-person meeting with King Charles was in February 2024, when he made a brief visit to the UK following his father’s cancer diagnosis. The meeting lasted just 30 minutes before Charles left for Sandringham by helicopter.
Harry’s estrangement from Prince William has also deepened. Harry’s visit to the UK for the funeral of their uncle, Robert Fellowes, last year reportedly saw little interaction between the brothers.
Harry has made it clear that he will not return to the UK unless he wins his legal battle for 24-hour armed security. Some close to him worry that life in California is not what he truly wants.
“He used to love a night out in the pub and hanging out in the country with friends. Maybe he has grown into a different person, but do I think he’d really suit the Californian lifestyle? No. Now we’ve seen it all play out, what has that left him with? On the surface, an enviable lifestyle — but for the Harry I know, I can’t imagine that gilded exile in California is where he wanted to end up,” a source told The Times.
