Harry and Charles’ deepening rift: Insiders close to the Prince claim King no longer answers his calls amid growing tension over Duke’s security battle

Friends of Prince Harry today claimed King Charles III is no longer answering his estranged son’s calls or responding to his letters as their rift deepens.

The Duke of Sussex and Charles last saw each other in person in February when they met for 45 minutes in London following the monarch’s cancer diagnosis.

But sources close to Harry said their communication has worsened since amid growing tensions over the Duke’s battle for his security when in Britain.

The Duke of Sussex is said to be ‘frightened’ about the safety of his wife Meghan Markle and children Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet – and believes the King has the power to intervene in his ongoing court case with the Home Office.

Sources told US magazine People that the issue of security began as a point of frustration between father and son but has now developed into ‘complete silence’.

A friend of Harry’s said: ‘He gets “unavailable right now”. His calls go unanswered. He has tried to reach out about the King’s health, but those calls go unanswered too.’

Decisions over the Duke’s security are made independently of the King by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which is part of the Home Office.

Harry last visited the UK in May to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, but could not meet his father during this recent trip. The Duke’s spokesman said at the time that this was due to the King’s ‘full programme’.

In February, Harry – who now lives in Montecito, California – lost his High Court challenge in London against the UK Government over his right to state-funded police protection.

He had told a judge that he did not feel able to bring his children Archie, five, and Lilibet, three, to Britain and could not put Meghan ‘in danger like that’.

Harry was then given permission in May to go to the Court of Appeal over the decision made in 2020 by Ravec.

A member of the King’s staff does sit on Ravec, but the King does not have the power to bestow police protection.

Last week it was confirmed that Birmingham would be the host city for the Invictus Games in 2027, but Harry might choose to attend without the rest of his family because of his security fears.

It is also possible that he could consider visiting Britain for a funeral for his uncle Lord Robert Fellowes, Queen Elizabeth II’s private secretary, who died on Monday aged 82.

Charles and William backed Harry when he launched the Invictus Games ten years ago, joining him at the opening ceremony and later flanking him as they watched the athletics together in high spirits.

But much has changed in the years that followed, with Harry stepping down as a working royal with Meghan in early 2020 and moving to the US.

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He faced a strained relationship with his father and an ongoing rift with his brother, exacerbated by the criticism he levelled at Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William and the Princess of Wales in his Netflix documentary and memoir Spare.

Meghan was last seen publicly in the UK nearly two years ago at the late Queen’s funeral in September 2022.

Harry marked the 10th anniversary of Invictus at a special service in St Paul’s Cathedral in London in May, but he was without Meghan or his children, and there was no appearance by the King or William.