Queen Elizabethand her heirPrince Charlesdidn’t always see eye-to-eye, but in the final years of the record-breaking monarch’s life, they bonded over a difficult decision.
WhenPrince HarryandMeghan Markleannounced their desire to step back from royal duties, they proposed a scenario where they would combine public duties with their work outside the royal family. As negotiations continued over the couple’s future, Harry’s father, Charles, 75, and grandmother, Queen Elizabeth,stood firm. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had to fully commit when it came to being working royals.
“Harry and Meghan’s departure brought Charles and his mother closer together,” Robert Hardman, author of the new bookThe Making of a King: King Charles III and the Modern Monarchy,tells PEOPLE.
King Charles and Prince Harry in April 2019.Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage
Samir Hussein/Samir Hussein/WireImage
The author, who has spoken to many past and present royal aides and friends of the King for his book, says there was “sadness” for Charles at the time, but that he remained “pragmatic.”
Hardman says, “There was a sort of weary resignation, but also a sense that ‘look, I’ve got so much to worry about now that I don’t have the luxury of dwelling on this.' If that’s what they want to do. I mean there’s, there’s only so much I as a father can do. And the door is always open.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on Sept. 16, 2023.Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Chris Jackson/Getty Images
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Hardman adds that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s departure is a loss for the monarchy, saying there is the “occasional wistful thought" at the palace “of if they were still part of the team and of all the things they could have done and could now be doing.”
He adds, “There is no question that Harry and Meghan are a great loss to the institution, and that is still appreciated and understood. There’s absolutely no sense of good riddance or anything like that. It’s fundamentally a source of deep regret.”
source: people.com
