Prince Harry, Meghan Markle had ‘turning point’ phone call with King Charles after birthday snub
King Charles III’s icy relationship with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle has reportedly started to thaw after having a productive call on the reigning monarch’s 75th birthday.
The Duke of Sussex, 39, called Charles on Tuesday to wish him a happy birthday, marking a “turning point” in their relationship, the Telegraph reported on Wednesday.
Markle, 42, also reportedly chatted with the King, while the couple’s two children, Prince Archie, 4, and Princess Lilibet, 2, treated their grandfather to a pre-recorded video of the tiny royals singing “Happy Birthday.”
The outlet noted that the conversation was “warm” and marked a “notable shift in tone” between the estranged father-son duo.
While tensions have been high between Charles and the Sussexes since the couple resigned from their royal duties in 2020 and moved to Montecito, Calif., things grew even more heated when Harry was snubbed from the King’s birthday celebrations.
Reports surfaced earlier this month that Harry would be skipping his father’s birthday celebrations. However, a spokesperson for Harry confirmed that he never got the invite to attend.
“In response to UK media headlines, there has been no contact regarding an invitation to His Majesty’s upcoming birthday,” Harry’s spokesperson told the Messenger at the time.
“It is disappointing the Sunday Times has misreported this story.”
A royal source also confirmed that Buckingham Palace “never reached out” to Harry.
But Harry’s call to his father, despite the snub, appeared to be an olive branch for his father — a gesture that has seemingly held strong.
Harry was even included in the official birthday tribute to Charles that was shared on the Royal Family’s official Instagram account.
Along with the agreeable conversation with the Sussexes, Charles also marked his milestone birthday by hosting a reception for NHS nurses and midwives. He also announced the launch of a new foundation, Coronation Food Project.
“The project is a groundbreaking initiative to help reduce food waste and support those living in food insecurity,” the royal family announced in an Instagram statement Tuesday.
The warm interaction between Harry and Charles could be a sign of a rekindling in the making after Harry was somewhat ostracized following his move to America.
Harry and Markle notably ruffled feathers with their royal family members after sitting for several tell-all interviews where they bashed the monarchy.
The Duke then made matters worse when he released his memoir, “Spare,” in which he dragged Charles and his brother William.
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In his book, Harry claimed that Charles didn’t so much as hug him when he delivered the news that his mom, Princess Diana, had died in a car crash in 1997. He also claimed that Charles referred to him as a backup heir to the British throne on the day he was born.
Harry also accused the Prince of Wales of physically attacking him and being the influence behind his decision to wear a Nazi uniform to a 2005 costume party.
While the brothers still appear to be at odds, Harry’s relationship with his father has slowly found its way back on track.
Harry and Charles were reportedly not on speaking terms for some time, however, he did show up (sans Markle) to support his dad on Coronation Day in May. Harry didn’t interact with Charles or William and he left immediately after the event ended.
However, royal insiders claimed last month that Charles was ready to mend his relationship with his son for “strategic” reasons.
“Ultimately Charles has not just a personal but also a strategic need to resolve the issue,” a former palace staffer told the Daily Beast at the time.
“It’s not sustainable for the king, who is the national symbol of unity, to be on such bad terms with his son.”
Harry’s birthday call with Charles could be the first step in ending their feud.
