Prince Harry not paying his father a visit during his short stay in the UK is down to “practicalities”, according to royal commentator Michael Cole.
The BBC’s former royal correspondent joined Nana Akua on GB News to discuss the current state of affairs as the estranged son appears to increasingly distance himself from his family.
But the duke not seeing his father earlier in the month was not due to any new bad blood, according to Cole, but the King simply must prioritise his own recovery and public duties.
“I think it really is practicalities”, he said on GBN America.
Michael Cole says Charles is focused on his cancer recovery
GETTY / GB NEWS
“The King is facing an unspecified cancer. That is really a harrowing thing for any person to do.
“At the same time, he is the head of state and he has to maintain his duties and be out and be seen. He doesn’t want his equilibrium to be upset.
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“It is upsetting to him that his younger son has said such heartless and cruel things, not just about himself, but about Queen Camilla, and that has gone home harder than anything else he could do.
“Of course, his beloved daughter-in-law too, Kate, is also undergoing treatment for an unspecified cancer.
“At that moment, you could understand why somebody in the family would say, ‘really?’
“They might say they ‘don’t want to be bothered with this because it is emotionally upsetting’. I think any physician will tell you when you’re undergoing treatment of this kind, the best thing to be is relaxed and clear your own mind.
Prince Harry and King Charles previously met in FebruaryGetty
“Let the physicians do their work and get better as soon as possible, that is what he wants to do. It has been upsetting for him to see.”
It was announced earlier in the month that Harry would not see his father during his short stay in the UK because of the monarch’s “full program”.
The duke was attending events commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, his multi-sports event that he set up for wounded soldiers and veterans.
Given Harry’s scathing remarks about the Royal Family in recent years, some have speculated as to whether he was delivered a snub by the King.
Just days after he arrived, Harry jetted off to Nigeria for a tour alongside his wife, Meghan Markle.
The couple kicked off a multi-day mental health summit at Lightway Academy shortly after their arrival.
They were warmly received by locals everywhere they went and were showered with gifts, including a touching portrait of a young Harry with his mum.