On September 23, Prince William quietly flew to Scotland to spend time with his father, King Charles III, at Balmoral Castle. The home is the centerpiece of the Windsor family’s much loved estate in Scotland, and both men usually spend part of their summer vacations enjoying the outdoors there. But this time, father and son are meeting solo—outside of royal protocol—“to chat as sovereign and heir,” according to the Telegraph.
These father-son summits have become a true tradition for the duo, who convened at Balmoral last week the third year in a row. This year, the occasion was set aside for “serious discussions.” At the heart of the royal preoccupations is Sarah Ferguson, who once again finds herself embroiled in the Epstein affair, after news broke that she allegedly sent an email to the wealthy financier after he was sentenced for a sexual abuse case. Another royal was also likely to be at the heart of exchanges between Prince William and King Charles: Prince Harry.
On September 9, William’s younger brother visited the UK alone to pursue his charitable commitments and renew ties with his homeland. In addition to a surprise visit to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent, to offer his condolences following the death of Edward’s wife, Katharine Worsley, the Duchess of Kent, Prince Harry also spent time with King Charles. A brief “tea-time” visit, their first face-to-face in 19 months, raised hopes of a possible reconciliation between the Duke of Sussex and the Windsors.
Burying the hatchet will be no easy task; William remains reluctant to allow his younger brother back into the British monarchy. His father, on the other hand, insists that Prince Harry cannot be a part-time royal. So Prince Harry’s future place—if he agrees —within his family, as brother, son, and uncle is likely to come back on the table during this tête-à-tête between King Charles and Prince William.
Originally published in Vanity Fair France.
