Prince Harry and Charles Reportedly Barely Speaking After Harry Takes a Jab at Father Over ‘CBE Scandal’
Prince Harry and his father Prince Charles have barely spoken in eight months and Charles will be “devastated” at the prospect of being “further ostracized” from his grandchildren Archie and Lilibet, reports claimed Tuesday.
The latest nadir in royal relations comes after The Sunday Times revealed that Harry’s charities had received at least £50,000 ($70,000) from Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz, the controversial Saudi billionaire who was subsequently honored by Prince Charles with a British medal called a CBE after giving £1.5 million ($2 million) to Charles’ charities.
Harry hit back at the newspaper’s claims, saying he had “severed” ties with Mahfouz after becoming suspicious of his “motives.” He said he had nothing to do with what his statement notably called “the CBE scandal.”
The gratuitous attack on Charles implicit in Harry’s choice of words is said to have left Charles “distraught,” and royal sources told the Daily Telegraph that Harry’s claim that he had “expressed his concerns about the donor” had not reached Charles: “No one can remember that here,” one said.
The Sun meanwhile reported that Charles and Harry have “barely spoken” since Prince Philip’s funeral with the exception of the occasional “fraught” phone call and that their relations are “at an all-time low,” with Charles “deeply shocked and hurt” by the attacks on him by Harry.
A friend of Charles told the Sun: “Charles is deeply shocked and disappointed by Harry’s latest statement, which effectively threw his father under the bus.
“There are fears that this episode with Mahfouz could even be a chapter in Harry’s autobiography.
“This attack was more damaging than the swipe at Charles’ parenting skills because this was a challenge to the way he conducts his business, which is far more damaging to the future king.
“There is no way for Charles to fight back and defend himself publicly so he keeps a dignified silence.
“These constant barbs about his father from America could be very damaging to his reign. Attempts have been made to clear the air, but they have barely spoken since the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral.”
The friend added: “Charles very much loves his son and he will not be having a pop at Harry in return. It’s that simple. He is not going to join in because loving his son is the thing that matters the most.”
The Telegraph added a quote from a source saying, “The prince absolutely adores Harry. He will feel absolutely devastated by this; distraught. He’ll be beside himself if this means he also becomes more ostracized from his grandchildren. It’s such a sad state of affairs.”
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