Prince Harry and King Charles dodge each other ahead of court appeal over security: expert

Prince Harry is back in London – and sources claimed the Duke of Sussex didn’t meet with his father, King Charles, before the monarch headed to Italy.

The prince made a rare appearance at the Royal Courts of Justice on Tuesday for a two-day hearing over the government-funded security he lost in February 2020 after he stepped down as a senior royal.

The 40-year-old appealed a High Court ruling over his security arrangements in the U.K., in a lengthy legal battle that has contributed to ongoing tensions with his father, who is battling cancer, People magazine reported.

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Fox News Digital reached out to a spokesperson for Archewell, which handles the offices of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, and Buckingham Palace for comment.

"I can confirm they did not see each other," Kinsey Schofield, host of the "To Di For Daily" podcast, told Fox News Digital. "My palace source said it was never a realistic option."

"I understand the king and courtiers' hesitation at any association with Prince Harry," Schofield claimed. "… Harry could use something his father says in a private moment against him in court. The royal family simply cannot trust him today."

The king, 76, is in Rome with Queen Camilla on an official visit. According to People magazine, the visit is part of the monarch’s efforts to strengthen the U.K.’s relationship with key European allies. Harry reportedly arrived in London on Sunday. The king departed for Rome the following day.

"They could have arranged to meet, but there is too much tension between them," royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams told Fox News Digital. "It’s sad, it’s public, and it presages trouble in the future, especially if Harry wins his appeal."

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The outlet noted that a spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex declined to comment if Harry saw his father before the king left for Rome. Buckingham Palace also provided no comment.

"Nothing the royals do is by accident," British royals expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. "Certainly, there was time, given the overlap in Prince Harry’s schedule, when he could have seen his father over the weekend… Since there was no meeting, it is an indication of where their relationship stands."

"… On the royal side, there is disappointment regarding Harry’s conduct and the status of the relationship," Fordwich claimed.

According to People magazine, Harry traveled from his home in Montecito for the hearing. The prince and his wife, Meghan Markle, moved to her home state in 2020 after they both made their royal exit. The Duchess of Sussex’s new podcast on Lemonada, "Confessions of a Female Founder," premiered on Tuesday.

Harry arrived at court with a small security detail supplemented with court officers. He waved to cameras before disappearing into a private entrance.

Last year, a High Court judge ruled that a government panel’s decision to provide "bespoke" security for Harry on an as-needed basis was not unlawful, irrational, or unjustified.

But attorney Shaheed Fatima argued that a group that evaluated Harry’s security needs failed to follow its own process and perform a risk management assessment.

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"The appellant does not accept that ‘bespoke’ means better," Fatima said. "In fact, in his submission, it means that he has been singled out for different, unjustified and inferior treatment."

A lawyer for the government said Harry’s argument was accurately found to have been based on an "inappropriate, formalist interpretation" of the government’s security review that was misconceived.

"The appeal is fairly to be characterized in the same way," attorney James Eadie said. "It involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees, advancing propositions available only by reading small parts of the evidence, and now the judgment, out of context and ignoring the totality of the picture."

While the hearing before three Court of Appeal justices is due to end Wednesday, a written decision is expected later. Some of the hearing was livestreamed, and other portions were conducted behind closed doors to discuss sensitive security details.

"RAVEC [Royal and VIP Executive Committee] has always said police protection is an option for Harry based on the circumstances," said Schofield.

"I think I’m not being generous enough to suggest that nine out of 10 times Prince Harry gets armed guards when he lands in the U.K.," Schofield argued. "But Prince Harry wants to be equal to his brother, Prince William, the future king, a working royal… that is what I believe this is about. Harry is demanding the same status as his brother."

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Harry has been battling this issue in court for five years. Sources close to the prince told People magazine that the loss of taxpayer-funded security has remained a major point of contention with his father. They claimed tensions between father and son have deepened over the years.

The sovereign has no governmental power in the U.K. or influence on RAVEC. However, Harry believes his father could intervene to ensure such protection is extended, the outlet shared. While Buckingham Palace won’t comment on security matters, a palace source previously told the outlet that the idea that Charles could get involved in any capacity on behalf of his son is "wholly incorrect."

Harry claimed he and his family are endangered when visiting his homeland because of hostility aimed at him and his wife on social media and through relentless hounding by news media.

After being denied government-sponsored protection, Harry faced at least two serious security threats, his lawyer said in court papers. Al Qaeda had published a document that said Harry’s assassination would please Muslims, and he and his wife were involved in a dangerous pursuit by paparazzi in New York City. 

According to Harry’s lawyers, he and his wife "felt forced to step back from the role of full-time official working members of the royal family as they considered they were not being protected by the institution," People magazine reported. They noted that Harry and Meghan "wished to continue their duties in support of the late Queen as privately funded members of the royal family." 

The lawyers also argued that the decision over security "does not appear to have been discussed at any formal RAVEC [Royal and VIP Executive Committee] meeting." They added that "instead" there was a meeting at Buckingham Palace to discuss the matter.

Harry lost a related court case in which he sought permission to privately pay for a police detail when in the UK. However, a judge denied that offer after a government lawyer argued officers shouldn’t be used as "private bodyguards for the wealthy."

"Harry is frightened and feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father," a royal insider previously told People.

"Harry is determined to protect his own family at all costs," another source added.

Sources close to Harry also claimed that Charles stopped answering Harry’s phone calls and letters. Harry’s relationship with William is believed to be nonexistent.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine and author of "My Mother and I," previously told Fox News Digital that the king doesn’t want to get involved in Harry’s legal woes.

"The king is in a position where the security and who gets the security is decided by the government, and the government is not the monarch," Seward explained.

"When Charles was Prince Charles, he could do more, but as monarch, he has to be very careful," said Seward. "He cannot get involved with government policy. Therefore, probably the easiest way out is to let somebody else deal with Harry."

"I am sure that somebody talks to Harry, it just may not be his father," Seward shared. "And in a way, that’s probably because his father just doesn’t want to get involved. He hasn’t got time; he hasn’t got the inclination, and he probably hasn’t got the energy for what would be a potentially difficult conversation."

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Buckingham Palace previously told Fox News Digital it wouldn’t comment on security matters.

Charles was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in February 2024.

"It’s been especially tough now for the king," said Seward. "You’re limited [in] what you can do as monarch."

Harry has had a strained relationship with his family since he and his wife, 43, quit royal duties. At the time, the couple said the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British press were what prompted them to make their exit.