“Charles wants to know what’s going on in Harry’s life and hear about the children, but he’s guarded because Harry has breached the trust between them on a number of occasions. Charles needs to know their private conversations remain just that. Private,” an insider told the royal expert in Vanity Fair.

The fact that King Charles – and Prince William, for that matter – congratulated Prince Harry publicly on his 40th birthday was a big surprise to many royal fans. But it seems like more than their relationship is tense at the moment.

According to royal expert Rebecca English, birthdays, in general, are a subject that is causing friction within the royal family at the moment. For example, when King Charles turned 75 last year, Prince Harry called his father. However, the details of their call ended up in the newspapers, which made King Charles furious.

The fact that the content of the phone call made the news also led to Charles being reluctant to spill too many details when speaking to his son now.

According to royal expert Rebecca English, when Charles turned 75 last year, Harry rang up his dad, but the fact that the conversation and details of their call hit the news was a sore spot for the king. English explained that Charles was happy to call his son this year but is still careful with everything between himself and Harry.

Why King Charles was ‘furious’ after Prince Harry’s birthday call

“Charles is angry, and he is hurt. But he is still his son at the end of the day, which is why it’s always been said as much as he is keeping distance at the moment, he will never entirely shut that door to him,” she explained on the Palace Confidential podcast.

One of the details that became public on the king’s birthday last year was that Harry and Meghan had sent Charles a video of Archie and Lilibet. That, if something, was a very personal thing for him, which was not to be public knowledge, the royal expert explained.

“One thing I did find out is how really disappointed the king was back in November when Harry did call him to wish him not just a happy 75th birthday, but also his children did a little video singing happy birthday to the grandpa they barely even see,” English said on the podcast.

“And within hours of that happening, that was leaked from the Sussex side to favored media and that really crossed the line in the sand for the royal family, because so very little of their lives is genuinely private. So much is lived in public or even surrounded by staff watching everything they do. So, private conversations, particularly private phone calls, are really considered just that.”

Prince Harry hasn’t met his father since the beginning of this year, when he embarked on a whirlwind trip to see him after his cancer diagnosis. The meeting only lasted about 30 minutes, with reports suggesting that Queen Camilla had been furious with Harry afterward.

Prince Harry & King Charles’ September reunion “highly unlikely”

Moreover, in May, Harry attended a special 10th-anniversary service for the Invictus Games in London but reportedly declined King Charles’ offer to stay at a royal residence. The father and son didn’t meet at all that time, but in late September they could get another shot at reuniting as Harry returns to the UK again — this time for the WellChild Awards.

“I am once again honored to attend this year’s WellChild Awards celebrating the remarkable courage and achievements of children living with complex medical needs,” Harry said in a statement.

The prince is said to stay just a stone’s throw from Buckingham Palace. But now, a royal source is presenting the sad news that there will be no reunion between Harry and his father.

King Charles is in Edinburgh to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament that same day. A source told the Express that a meeting between the two hasn’t been ruled out but is “highly unlikely.”

“The King is due to head south in late September,” said the source. “The King and Queen will mark the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament on September 28 and will have several free days afterwards.”

“There are currently discussions ongoing about finding a mutually agreeable place in the diary.”

“it doesn’t look promising”

Moreover, the source added that a reunion is especially doubtful as neither Harry nor Charles will stay in London long.

“If the King decides to head to London in the evening of Sunday 29 for meetings pencilled inearly that week, it is still looking highly unlikely that there will be time to meet with his son,” the source explained. “It still hasn’t been decided if His Majesty will head to Highgrove or London on the tail end of Scotland or how his plans will pan out during that week.

“Harry is also making a flying visit and his travel plans have already been booked and organised. There still could be something worked out as nothing is set in stone but it doesn’t look promising.”