Prince Harry and King Charles have spoken by phone since the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned to the UK, despite reports suggesting there had been no direct contact between them.
The claim was made by Australian royal reporter Bronte Coy during an appearance on The Morning Show on Wednesday, 9 September. She said her understanding was that the King and his younger son had not yet met in person but had spoken privately.
“I can tell you, actually, just from this morning, I’ve heard. They haven’t met face to face yet. But my understanding is that they have spoken on the phone,” Coy said.
Her comments contradict reports in parts of the British media that Charles and Harry had not been in direct contact since the Sussexes returned to Britain.
Coy said Harry and Meghan had been keeping a low profile as they settled back into life in the UK, with arranging schooling for their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, among their main priorities.
“The major thing has been getting the kids into school,” she said. “That’s been a major focus. I think they’ve been laying pretty low while they figure all that out.”
The family returned to Britain after several years living in the United States, with sources close to the Sussexes saying Harry had missed his home country and wanted his children to spend more time there.
However, their return has been accompanied by renewed uncertainty over their position within the Royal Family. Buckingham Palace has confirmed that the couple remain non-working royals and should be treated as private citizens, with their “His and Her Royal Highness” styles continuing to be held in abeyance.
The clarification was issued in a letter sent on behalf of the King to senior government, military and royal representatives. The document also stated that any charitable work carried out by Harry and Meghan would be undertaken in a private capacity.
Coy said the Sussexes were shown the letter only about an hour before it was released publicly and had been “unpleasantly surprised” by the timing.
“I do think this has landed quite, yeah, I think they were unpleasantly surprised that that went out,” she said.
The couple now face the challenge of carrying out public activities in Britain without appearing to compete with the official work of the King, the Prince of Wales and the Princess of Wales.
“Effectively now it does have the appearance, even if they’re not trying to, of a rival court,” Coy said.
