Prince Harry’s Rift With King Charles Deepens Amid His Ongoing Court Case (Exclusive)

Prince Harry didn’t hold back as he left London’s Royal Court of Justice on April 9, telling reporters he was “exhausted and overwhelmed” after attending a two-day appeal hearing over the removal of his police protection.

The Duke of Sussex said the public would “be shocked” to hear “what’s being held back” in the case — some of which played out in private — and that his “worst fears have been confirmed by the whole legal disclosure,” adding, “and that’s really sad.”

In the days that followed, it became clear that Harry, 40, believes the decision to suspend security for his family (he and wife Meghan Markle, 43, are parents to Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3) had been a calculated move by the Palace to prevent Harry and Meghan from abandoning their official royal posts. (The couple left the U.K. in early 2020 amid growing tension between them and Harry’s brother, Prince William, his wife, Princess Kate, and Harry’s dad, King Charles.)

The ongoing court case has highlighted the deepening rift between Harry and the 76-year-old king. “This has been terrible for Harry’s relationship with Charles,” says a royal insider. “Harry blames Charles and thinks he can intervene. But [Charles] can’t, and it just continues Harry’s narrative that he’s been cast out.” The father and son (who haven’t seen each other since early 2024) failed to meet up despite both being in the U.K. — Harry arrived in London on April 6, while Charles was in town for a scheduled medical treatment before leaving for Italy the following day. (The monarch announced his cancer diagnosis in February 2024.)

“Charles is not answering Harry’s messages,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams tells Us Weekly. “At the moment, Harry does not seem to have a relationship with his father at all. It’s truly sad.”

Royal Wounds

As far as Charles is concerned, the matter of Harry’s publicly-funded security being withdrawn in the U.K. is out of his hands. (RAVEC, the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures, is responsible for security details. Since Harry and Meghan moved to the U.S., their U.K. security measures have been decided on a case-by-case basis.) “Prince Harry doesn’t seem to understand that Charles can’t get involved in the decision about his security, but he still blames him,” says the royal insider. “Harry and Meghan are no longer working royals, so they don’t get royal protection anymore. It’s the British public paying for this, so there’s no leeway here.” Adds the insider: “It’s between Harry and the Home Office.”

Us understands Harry was led to believe he was guaranteed protection for the rest of his life. During a hearing on April 8, lawyers for the father of two cited several incidents that back up his case, including threats from neo-Nazi groups and the terrorist organization al-Qaeda. In the appeal — which was filed in response to a 2024 ruling against Harry — his attorneys argue that RAVEC downgraded his security without completing a threat, risk and impact assessment, which is standard policy. “[The Duke has] been singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment,” said his lawyer, Shaheed Fatima. Adds Fitzwilliams: “A pivotal part of Prince Harry’s motivation is the intense feeling that he and his family are the victims of injustice.”

Royal experts are divided as to whether Harry and his immediate family members are deserving of round-the-clock protection while in his home country. (He pays for his own security in the U.S.) “If any accommodation was to be had with the Sussexes, this seemed a reasonable request,” says Fitzwilliams, noting how “tormented” Harry has been by the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in a 1997 car crash while being chased by paparazzi. But royal historian Marlene Koenig feels Harry is acting entitled. “When you leave the family business — whether it be the royal family or a family-owned corporation — you lose the rights and privileges of that business,” she says. (Harry has maintained that he was forced out of The Firm after initially offering to work on a more part-time basis.)

Trust Issues

For Harry, Charles’ radio silence speaks volumes. “Harry believes his father can make arrangements,” says Koenig. “He cannot.” (Koenig notes that other part-time or non-working royals have also lost security but are given protection while carrying out official royal engagements.) Fitzwilliams believes Harry “regards what he perceives as the King’s indifference as a betrayal of some sort.”

Meanwhile, Harry’s decision to talk to reporters after the April 9 hearing “highlights the issue of trust and reliability” for Charles & Co., Fitzwilliams says. “[It was] unwise [of Harry] to make further public accusations against the royal family, claiming that they tried to trap him using security as a weapon. This has a feel of paranoia about it.”

Harry has spoken at length about his experiences in the royal family in interviews and his 2023 bestselling memoir, Spare. And Charles — as well as William, 42, and Kate, 43 — are still harboring resentment over it. “In a nutshell, the royal family does not trust Harry,” says Fitzwilliams. According to the royal commentator, Charles may be avoiding his youngest son over concerns “that something he says privately could be used in court.” Harry and Meghan are currently more public-facing than usual as Meghan continues to build her As Ever brand, With Love, Meghan Netflix series (which was renewed for a second season), Confessions of a Female Founder podcast and her return to Instagram, which includes a ShopMy page complete with commissionable links.

Adding to the strain between father and son, Harry’s surprise trip to Ukraine — he met with wounded soldiers in Lviv on April 10 — “risked overshadowing” Charles’ state visit to Italy with wife Queen Camilla, says the royal insider. “Traditionally, the royals don’t do big initiatives at the same time, so this was a low blow from Harry.” The Duke of Sussex is provided with significant security details while traveling to certain countries, like Ukraine as well as Colombia and Nigeria in 2024, which he does not receive while in the U.K.

Fraught Future

Harry has no plans to back down. On April 9, he said this fight “has always mattered the most,” and in court, his lawyer said Harry’s presence was “a potent demonstration of how much this appeal means to him and his family.” The court said the result of Harry’s appeal would be handed down after Easter.

For now, Harry and Charles remain at an impasse. “They are not in communication with each other,” says Koenig. “Charles loves his son, but at this time, he and his advisers prefer the tough love treatment.” Fitzwilliams notes the distance between them is especially sad given Charles’ health condition; he was briefly hospitalized on March 27 (Harry reportedly found out through the media). Adds the insider: “Charles wants to solve the tension with Harry and put it behind them, but there’s nothing he can do here. It’s out of his hands.”

For more on Charles and Harry, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly — on newsstands now.