Prince Harry was ‘blocked’ from seeing his father King Charles one-on-one after he flew back to the UK after the King’s cancer diagnosis.
The prince had allegedly wanted to join his father for ‘a few days’ at Sandringham – but was restricted to a brief meeting.
A source told The Sun on Sunday: ‘Harry came over to see his father, expecting to go to Sandringham. But instead he was asked to be at Clarence House and was restricted to 30 minutes.
‘The fear was that if he went to Sandringham they would never get rid of him.’
The claims come just days after Prince Harry’s rumoured willingness to step back into royal life with a working role while Charles is ill has already been ruled out by Buckingham Palace, according to insiders.
Reports yesterday suggested the Duke of Sussex had told pals he would consider a temporary return to the firm while Charles undergoes cancer treatment.
But Palace sources are said to have confirmed the terms of the Sandringham summit held before Harry and Meghan quit as senior royals – ruling out a ‘half in, half out’ approach – still stand.
One told The Sunday Telegraph: ‘Those terms were quite clear, and the King’s illness hasn’t altered that.’ Another told the newspaper that the view a hybrid model of being a working royal was not appropriate still ‘remains the case’.
Harry, who stepped down as a working royal alongside his wife the Duchess of Sussex in 2020, is a counsellor of state but is not expected to take up any of the King’s duties while he recovers.
The pair recently spent time together at Clarence House after the duke flew in from his home in California to see the King following his diagnosis.
They are said to have had several ‘warm exchanges’, with a source telling The Times that Charles, 75, is keen to reconcile and see more of his son, and believes doing so would benefit the monarchy.
Today, King Charles was photographed walking alongside Camilla and holding an umbrella as he arrived at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham.
The King was seen wearing a brown coat and waving to the public before being greeted by the Rev Canon Dr Paul William.
Charles is staying at Sandringham following his first bout of cancer treatment.
The 75-year-old King was seen in public for the first time since Harry suggested in an interview with a US breakfast TV show that his father’s illness could lead to a reconciliation between them.
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